Malta, Germany plan joint flights

The Maltese and German governments are to submit a joint proposal to the European Union for the funding of joint special flights to repatriate illegal immigrants to their country of origin.

A spokesman for the Home Affairs Ministry told The Times that the proposal is in the final stages of being drawn up.

It will be submitted to the EU at the beginning of next month under an EU action programme for administrative cooperation in the fields of asylum, visas, immigration and external borders known as the Argo programme.

The spokesman explained that the aim of the proposal is to start, as soon as possible, joint flights funded by the EU - taking off from German airports and flying via Malta - on which illegal immigrants with regular travelling documents would be flown back to their own countries.

The spokesman said the flights may stop over at other EU airports before coming to Malta as other EU member states are showing interest in joining this initiative.

Asked to mention the other EU countries, the ministry spokesman said concrete data on the planning stages of the joint flights could not be divulged at this stage.

Originally, the idea of starting joint flights, dubbed "asylum airways", was discussed during a meeting of the interior ministers of Italy, the UK, France, Germany and Spain in the French town of Evian.

Although Malta did not take part in that meeting, Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg immediately welcomed the idea and started bilateral discussions with the German Interior Minister.

Dr Borg also discussed the possibility of obtaining EU funding for the initiative with EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini during official talks held in Malta last month.

Mr Frattini had said that the EU agrees in principle with member states teaming up to tackle a common problem but he would prefer if these flights were administered under the umbrella of the EU.

Sources close to the ministry said failed asylum seekers are at present deported from Malta on commercial flights, which is both expensive and can be disturbing to other passengers, particularly if the individuals become abusive and need to be restrained.

The cost of these repatriations, which run into tens of thousands of Maltese liri each year, are borne by the Maltese government and includes the provision of security personnel to accompany the migrants on the flight.

If the proposal for EU funding goes through, the operation should be much less expensive because chartered planes will be leased for repatriation purposes.