Prime Minister Robert Abela today called for an automatic relocation mechanism for migrants in order to address the developing issues that are taking place in the Mediterranean region.
He was speaking during a meeting with the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josef Borrell, who was in Malta today to discuss immigration and the situation in Libya.
Abela explained that that Malta will remain committed in the EU but there has to be a sense of solidarity among member states and concrete action must be taken with regards to fundamental problems like irregular immigration.
The PM believes that economic stability is a pre-requisite to stabilising the situation in Libya and the EU must commit itself fully to and communicate better with the ties it shares within Africa in order to promote investment and sustainable development. This also includes, the strengthening of both land and sea security so that the more deaths are avoided.
Referring back to the meeting he held with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj on Monday, Abela said that Malta and Libya has strong ties and this connection was vital in saving as many lives at sea as possible. Similarly, the EU plays an important role in safeguarding lives as this is exactly what member states promised when they signed the Malta Declaration.
Turning to the topic of IRINI, the EU naval mission tasked to enforce an arms embargo in Libya, Abela said that Malta’s position has not changed for a number of reasons, especially the lack of help EU member states have shown. This project was launched last March, however, Malta announced it would withdraw participation.
“While the number of European countries have offered their help on the relocation of immigrants, this number is still small when compared to the total of immigrants in Malta,” he said.
Abela made reference to the latest report of a migrant boat with 52 immigrants in the Mediterranean asking why Malta is being pressured to allow them to disembark when Italy refused to do so even though it was the ideal Port of Safety.
He emphasised that one in every hundred persons in Malta is a migrant and the overcrowding situation is so bad that some migrants have not roof on their heads and are sleeping in Valletta.
“We are talking about European boarders not just Maltese ones, so our appeal for help is concrete,” he said while calling for the need of an automatic relocation mechanism.