The Maltese government expects that joint sea patrols in the central Mediterranean are launched immediately to stem the flow of irregular immigrants and to transmit the message that concrete action is under way in respect of this route.
In a strongly-worded statement given to EU ambassadors in Malta and Maltese ambassadors in EU countries during a meeting on Monday, details of which were released yesterday, Foreign Minister Michael Frendo urged the EU to provide further assistance to member states facing massive influxes of irregular immigrants through the provision of emergency funds.
Malta also believes that the EU needed to engage more directly with Mediterranean partners, and Dr Frendo also urged other European partners to follow the example of Holland and Germany who have taken some of the refugees residing in Malta.
Dr Frendo said that the 967 immigrants that have arrived in Malta translate into the arrival of 135,380 in Italy, 145,050 in France, 96,700 in Spain and 198,235 in Germany. “This is the magnitude of the problem of illegal immigration in Malta where the population density is 1,200 per square kilometre.”
Recent developments have not been encouraging in terms of tackling the problem from a global perspective, Dr Frendo pointed out. The current situation is unsustainable as Malta’s challenge to deal with the situation is constrained by the lack of human, infrastructural and financial resources as well as the unique geographical structure and population density.
Foreign Minister raises immigration issue with resident EU ambassadors
Foreign Minister Michael Frendo made strong representations on illegal immigration with resident EU ambassadors in Malta during an urgent meeting at the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Monday.
During the meeting, Foreign Minister Frendo delivered a written statement to all ambassadors asking them to convey the message that Malta insists that the European Union delivers the actions that were agreed between all EU heads of state and governments during the December 2005 EU Council.
A copy of the same statement is also being sent to all Malta’s ambassadors in the European Union.
The statement delivered yesterday by Foreign Minister Frendo is the following:
“Last December, the European Council adopted The Global Approach to Migration: Priority Actions focusing on Africa and the Mediterranean. Malta welcomed the said priority actions since these envisaged a comprehensive response to the major concerns related to the problem of illegal immigration, particularly following the influx experienced by the country in 2005.
The large numbers of illegal immigrants arriving in Malta are not only stretching the island’s humanitarian responsibilities beyond the limits but also have serious security implications for Malta as illustrated by recent incidents.
Since 20 June, Malta has witnessed the arrival of over 500 illegal immigrants from North Africa. This amount brings the number of illegal immigrants arriving in Malta since January 2006 to 967, almost double the figures of 473 last year.
Relatively speaking, 967 illegal immigrants in Malta translate into the arrival of 135,380 in Italy, 145,050 in France, 96,700 in Spain and 198,235 in Germany. This is the magnitude of the problem of illegal immigration in Malta where the population density is 1,200 per square kilometre.
The challenge posed by illegal immigration in the Mediterranean is not solely a Maltese problem but a Mediterranean and therefore a European one. This phenomenon has to be confronted by fully exploiting the means at our disposal as EU member states and through a concrete application of burden-sharing which is consistent with the principle of solidarity.
I regret to say that recent developments have not been encouraging in terms of tackling the problem from a global perspective. Malta, as part of the central Mediterranean route for illegal immigration, is being negatively affected as a result of action being confined to the western Mediterranean route. Malta has persistently asked for a holistic approach to the issue by ensuring an assiduous and balanced response to all migratory routes affecting illegal migration across the Mediterranean Sea. In this regard, Malta believes that strengthening cooperation solely in one geographic area may increase pressure on other migratory routes as international criminal organisations re-deploy their energies on the ‘softer’ gateways to Europe.
Moreover, it is our sincere belief that one must first and foremost concentrate on solving the problem of illegal immigration before even contemplating what resources to dedicate in order to harness the benefits of legal migration. We must get our priorities right.
I would like to make specific reference to some areas where we are requesting the assistance and support of EU partners.
i. Malta expects that Frontex should immediately launch joint sea patrols in the central Mediterranean in an attempt to stem the flow of illegal migrants and to transmit the message that concrete action is under way also in respect of this route. The fact that operations of this nature have been launched for the West African route has meant that the central Mediterranean route has become even more vulnerable and exposed. This is an imbalance that must be rectified without delay.
ii. Malta maintains that the Parties to the Cotonou Agreement are legally bound to implement their readmission obligations as provided for by Article 13 of the agreement. The unequivocal message must be that the EU is fully prepared to pursue a rigorous application of Article 13 since this produces a legally binding requirement in terms of the “readmission of nationals illegally present on the territory of a member state of the European Union…without further formalities”. This is a fact which is often overlooked. There should be a mechanism in place which goes beyond sole dependence on the country of origin for the issuance of a travel document. Malta also expects that dialogue on Article 13 of the Cotonou Agreement should be extended without delay to include countries from East Africa. We would therefore appreciate any assistance member states may be in a position to give to facilitate the launching of this dialogue with countries from East Africa.
iii. Malta welcomes the Euro-African Conference on Migration and Development to be held on 10-11 July in Rabat, not as an end in itself, but as the start of a long and arduous process; however Malta deeply regrets the selectivity of the invitee list since it excludes other countries which are themselves major countries of origin of illegal migration across the Mediterranean such as those located in East Africa. It was a short-sighted move to exclude these countries from participating in this conference, as this implies that the problem is being approached piecemeal rather than holistically; the end result of a lop-sided approach is bound to be a further redirection of illegal immigration to the central Mediterranean. In the context of the Rabat Ministerial Conference, I have to underline that Malta, in consonance with a holistic approach, will not accept a Declaration that is not open for signature also by countries which have not been invited to participate in Morocco. Malta will also refuse a situation where no space is provided in the post-conference follow-up committee also for countries which have not been invited to participate in the conference.
iv. In the absence of a dialogue with countries from East Africa in the Rabat conference, Malta is insisting on the convening of an EU-African ministerial conference in Tripoli, under the aegis of the EU and AU. In this regard, it is now essential that the matter is followed up and that such a date be set immediately before the meeting in Rabat. Attempts must be resisted to deflect attention away from this event. Malta understands that another regional conference focussing solely on the East Africa route could certainly be of considerable value if held later in the year following the EU-Africa ministerial conference, but surely not at its expense. What is urgently needed now is a conference that approaches the issue holistically in a meeting of countries of origin, transit and destination.
v. Malta urges the European Union to provide further assistance to member states facing massive influxes of illegal immigrants through the provision of emergency funds and the dispatch of rapid reaction teams in order to assist the local authorities dealing with emergency situations. It also calls on partners to provide assistance to facilitate the repatriation process of illegal immigrants originating from East Africa.
vi. Malta also believes that the European Union needs to engage more directly with Mediterranean partners. Emphasis should be placed on preventing and combating illegal migration and trafficking in human beings, as well as building the capacity to manage migration. In this respect, greater efforts must be undertaken vis-à-vis Libya in combating organised crime which comprises such activities as the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons. Libya must be central to our focus, especially as far as the conclusion of an EU-Libya action plan is concerned.
vii. Consistent with the Global Approach to Migration, Malta would be in favour of an EU-AU mechanism designed to address issues with a direct impact on displacement of people and unregulated migration, to deal with the quick deployment of fact-finding missions to identify needs in crises areas and to monitor and ascertain that EU development assistance does at the end of the day provide a tangible benefit to the population.
viii. Malta would like to express its appreciation to the Netherlands and Germany which have recognised the adverse impact of illegal immigration on the Maltese islands by taking some of the refugees residing in Malta. Malta also thanks those countries which have already committed themselves to assist Malta with resettlement of refugees in the near future. This is a tangible example of international solidarity between EU member states. We strongly urge other European partners to consider this possibility.
In the face of a multitude of difficulties and constraints, Malta is doing its utmost to deal with the influx of immigrants as humanely and efficiently as possible, and to honour its international commitments vis-à-vis those who are genuinely in need of protection. In the longer term however, one must appreciate that the current situation is an unsustainable one. Malta’s ability to deal with a challenge of this magnitude is constrained by the lack of human, infrastructural and financial resources as well as the unique geographical structure and population density of the Maltese islands. We therefore call upon our European partners to extend all possible support.”