If one were to read today’s front page story, it is hard not to take a stance which is in total agreement with the government on the issue of Frontex patrols.
To cut a long story short, the European Commission has issued new guidelines on the operations of Frontex which stipulate that people rescued at sea should be taken to the point of departure, or the country hosting the mission. There are other guidelines, but these are the two that affect Malta directly.
The conundrum lies in the fact that Frontex mission participation is voluntary, and so far no one has come forward for this season’s operations. That leaves only Malta. Now, while the AFM would get full funding to carry out the operations, it would mean that Malta would have to shoulder all immigrant arrivals, even if they are rescued from as far afield as Crete!
The more alert will realise that the first option is to take them back to the point of departure, but Libya has so far resisted every attempt to strike a deal to this effect, despite it having signed and implemented one with Italy. So this will basically mean that unless the EU, or the government of Malta, strikes a bilateral agreement with Libya to accept returned migrants who departed from their shores, we will be up the proverbial creek without a paddle.
What is important to note, however, is that the government has emphasised that it will still carry out its obligations and rescue people, dropping them off at the closest port of call, as it has always done, and will continue to do so in line with international obligations as interpreted.
The government must hold out. Not for the first time, we are back to square one. The European Commission said that last summer it ended up as a referee in certain cases where there were disputes about where immigrants should be taken. They say that this is not their job and they are keen for the new guidelines to be put in place before the new migration season starts.
Well, what a load of old codswallop. Just like Europe has done on many occasions, Malta has been left to fend for itself. Pontius Pilate supposedly washed his hands to show that he was blameless. Well these actions by the Commission are in the same vein. Let us get this straight. The rules are to be changed. No one is taking part in Frontex, Malta will have to rescue everyone and bring them to our shores. Not likely. The government has said there is no chance whatsoever that this will happen. The government prefers to go it alone rather than accept such an awful deal and this is to be commended. After all, and we hope that someone in the EP or EC takes the time to read this, we have been left to fend for ourselves many times before on the issue of immigration and to be frank, we seem to manage better when we go it alone. The message from Malta is clear – we have been messed about for far too long and we are not going to put up with it. It is clear – the better you behave, the more prudent you are and the more you stick to the rules, the more you get sidelined. It is obvious. We try to do things by the book and we get it in the neck in return. No, the government is right. We will do it our way. Solidarity does not mean giving a blank cheque, it means rolling up your sleeves and mucking in. Doubtless that will happen. That only happens when politicians are in the right place at the right time and there is a camera about. Shame on you.