Prime Minister Joseph Muscat today said that the government’s Cabinet members were “united” in considering all options, when asked whether he enjoyed the support of the Cabinet over the migrant push back policy.

Dr Muscat shunned the anti-migrant protest that is set to take place, saying that it has no support from the government.

Dr Muscat said that he is willing to engage with the two NGOs that have resigned from the government’s consultative council on LGBTI rights.

On a lighter note, Dr Muscat laughed off suggestions that the government had considered commandeering a Gozo Channel Ferry to take the migrants who arrived on Tuesday back to Libya.

It would appear that the government is going to take a holistic approach in engaging with North Africa, as during an earlier address at St Martin’s Institute, Dr Muscat said that the country has to be a pioneer in looking towards that region.

“We have a competitive edge, we share the same region and a relatively similar culture as North Africa. The single most important sector earmarked by North African leaders is education,” Dr Muscat said.

He also spoke of the “special relationship with China,” saying that he was “impressed by the Chinese government’s response to our nudge,” in signing the bi-lateral agreement on education.

The Prime Minister said that the education sector cannot continue to be dominated by the State.

“We cannot continue to drag along the status quo. The easy part is opening up the sector, the hard part is maintain standards,” he said.

Dr Muscat maintained that the new Citizenship and Visa Agency will apply strict controls, making sure that any international education partners are “genuine, with bona fida students.”