Although the situation is more critical now due to COVID-19, the migration problem is made worse by the fact that there was no plan in place during better times, the Prime Minister said on Sunday morning.

Speaking in an interview on One TV, Abela said that at no point was a decision taken by the government not to save the migrants stuck out at sea. The accusations being made by the Opposition and civil society are unjust, he added, noting that "sometimes you learn not to expect better."

"We have always done more than we could, the number of migrants in our county are proof of this."

Abela said that this is a reality our country has to face, and for the first time, "we are facing it properly." He noted that financial help from the EU was forthcoming, but we need more than financial help. 

The Prime Minister noted that our resources were already limited, but with COVID-19, the reality has become even more difficult. "We have made our position clear, even with the EU, if we do not get help in terms of relocation, we cannot do more as our resources are limited."

Abela said that we have to balance the health of the Maltese, and also the migrants already in our country, and we are asking for solidarity from the world. This is not a Maltese problem but of EU borders and even of the world, he explained.  

He also appealed to the Opposition and civil society to help, as this is not only a government issue but an issue of the entire country. It is a big issue and the more people onboard, pulling the same rope, the better.

"We are speaking about people like us, they are no different. There should not be an element of racism, even though some are economic migrants. To come to terms with going forward with such a voyage, taking such a risk, it is obvious that they need a better life. This needs to be approached with compassion and humanity, but you cannot have the Opposition putting forward an accusation which could result in people facing life in jail."

Under oath, the Prime Minister, said he said he was happy to say all that was done in this situation, providing all the resources we could.

Over the last years, there was no holistic approach or solution to the migrant issue, Abela explained, adding that for every boat that came in, there was a solution for that particular situation. It always resulted in the migrants staying in Malta with very few migrants being relocated.

Abela said that currently there are 4,000 migrants being hosted in our country, explaining that in proportion to Germany's population, this would equate to 700,000 migrants. 

"I am not looking to solve the problem during COVID-19, but for the future. We will coordinate the rescues, but you need to know where the migrants will go."

The issue, he said, is not whether they land in Italy or Malta but where they go after. There needs to be a plan whereby some of the migrants will be hosted by us but the burden should be proportionate.
"We sent a strong message this week although I did not like doing it," Abela continued. He said that Malta's position is this but that we remain flexible until a solution is found. Conceding that many Member States are facing severe difficulties due to COVID-19, Abela said that the migrant problem has been ongoing for many years.

Over Easter, Malta was coordinating five rescue missions, Abela said, adding that both public and private resources were used to ensure no life was lost. However, Malta and Italy cannot handle this burden alone.

Abela said that the Leader of the Opposition offered a solution a few weeks back to save the migrants and leave them on a boat, the same solution the government is implementing now. Now, Adrian Delia is criticising the same solution he proposed a few weeks back, the Prime Minister continued.

All shops to open in the coming weeks 

Turning to the economy, Abela said the economy will be re-stimulated, with shops that are still closed expected to open in the coming weeks. He said that the government has managed to balance health and economy and that we have been successful.

There is still more to come, in terms of assistance, Abela continued, but many businesses were saved. All sectors have their realities, so everyone has to be heard. At the moment, the government is hearing people out, weighing out its options, and will reach its conclusions.

Many experts told Abela to go for a full lockdown and he decided he will not, and now these same experts told him he was right, he said. "It was not an easy decision, especially considering it was a new government."

Trust in the government has increased, Abela continued, adding that he is very satisfied with the results Malta is achieving. But it is never enough, he said, adding that he is looking forward to the challenge in the coming weeks when all shops will be open and new health protocols will be announced.

The measures taken in the past weeks were balanced and the same method will be adopted in the coming weeks, he said.

"We cannot go back to how we were seven weeks ago, as that would be irresponsible. Whilst the focus has been on health so far, now we need to start focusing on the economy. I am convinced, and sure, that we have a bright future ahead of us."