The Minister for Home Affairs and National Security, Carmelo Abela, today welcomed a communication from the European Commission for a new Partnership Framework with third countries on migration. The communication sets out a vision for ambitious Migration Compact agreements with key migratory countries, including increased engagement with Libya and Tunisia.
Speaking at a meeting of home affairs ministers in Luxembourg today, 10 June 2016, Minister Abela noted that, if properly implemented, the Migration Compact agreements will be a sound step in the right direction and could signal a turning point in collaborative and productive engagement with countries of origin and transit.
Malta has been at the forefront in placing external engagement on the EU agenda as a key element of a holistic and sustainable approach to manage migration towards Europe. In this context, the Minister stated that Malta fully supports the initiative, noting that it builds on the Valletta Action Plan for engagement with key African countries. Minister Abela also told his EU counterparts that Malta expects the migration compact agreements “to be operational and specific, setting out actions rather than principles” and drawing on the full range of the EU’s policy options.
Minister Abela also highlighted the fact that flows along the central Mediterranean migratory route have returned to the same level as last year, adding that the even more pressing statistic is the number of tragic fatalities on this route in recent weeks. The Minister stated that the same level of commitment which was put into managing the situation on the Balkan route over the winter must be applied in relation to flows in the central Mediterranean.
In addition to migration, EU ministers also addressed ongoing efforts to better-coordinate international anti-terror and anti-crime efforts. In this regard, the Council endorsed a roadmap setting out actions to improve information management and the cross-border exchange of information between Member States. Council also held a discussion on the implementation of the EU Internal Security Strategy and agreed to a position for negotiations with the European Parliament on a proposal aimed at better-regulating firearms.
On the sidelines of the Council meeting, Minister Abela held meetings with his Dutch and Slovak colleagues from the Council of the EU Presidency Trio which includes Malta. Migration will be a specific priority of the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2017, wherein the goal will be to make tangible progress in developing sustainable and fair mechanisms to manage migration as a new long-term reality.