Only migrants who qualify for asylum status deserve stronger protection from a human rights point of view, Prime Minister Robert Abela said.

Fielding journalists' questions after stating that the European Convention on Human Rights should be reformed, Abela said Malta will "continue to fight for the strengthening of human rights but only where it is merited."

When MaltaToday asked him to clarify who exactly merits having their human rights strengthened, which Abela replied, "Those who merit asylum." 

Those who do not merit this are those whose asylum application is turned down, he said.

Last week, a Department of Information statement said a proposal by Prime Minister Abela to reform the "outdated" ECHR was received with interest, sparking concerns that Malta will be pushing for alterations which will impinge on basic human rights for migrants.

Abela today again referred to the Italian government's attempt to relocate migrants to Albania, a move which was struck down by the Italian judiciary. 

"What's wrong with that," Abela said about the Italian re-location agreement.

When it was pointed out to him that the proposed reform was nowhere on Malta's agenda when foreign affairs minister Ian Borg addressed the Council of Europe in February ahead of the country's upcoming presidency of the council, Abela said that this does not mean that the reform wasn't being discussed between EU leaders.

Addressing criticism from NGOs about the implications of such a reform, Abela said that wants to avoid "a free-for-all" in irregular immigration, noting that Malta has managed to reduce migrant arrivals by preventing them from leaving the north African coast.

The Prime Minister further justified the proposed reform by stating that there is no EU effort to facilitate migrant returns, and so each member state must fend for themselves.

Nobody has the right to enter any other country as he or she pleases, the PM said. 

With regard to media reports that about "suspicious" consultancy payments to former Transport Malta and PL CEO James Piscopo at the time of the Kappara Junction project Abela suggested that this was part of a coordinated attack as Piscopo had begun helping the Labour Party again.

"We have seen the independent media work in this way several times, in which first there are these supposed investigations and the next day Repubblika seeks a magisterial inquiry," Abela said.

Abela said that Piscopo was being "attacked" because he had recently begun working with the Labour Party again, describing this as a disgusting tactic.