EPP Congress approves PN resolution on immigration

The European People's Party Congress meeting in Rome yesterday approved a resolution submitted by the Nationalist Party calling on EU members states to support the European Commission in its initiatives to assist small member states on the periphery of Europe, like Malta, to deal with illegal immigration.

The EPP resolution, presented by the PN, was approved by an overwhelming majority vote at the congress with just 18 votes against, particularly from the Swedish delegation.

The resolution states that the control of the Union's external borders should not be the responsibility of the peripheral states, which should be assisted in controlling the phenomenon of irregular migration.

The resolution specifically mentions the setting up of a rapid response team to profile and seek the identity of immigrants landing on EU shores and the allocation of special emergency funds from the existing financial allocation.

The EPP resolution also calls on EU member states "to support all efforts at burden-sharing of the problem being faced by member states, and all measures to create a corps of coast guards to improve the fight against criminal behaviour at sea as mentioned in the EPP Action programme".

Following the vote, Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg, who led the Maltese delegation at the congress, expressed his satisfaction that the congress accepted to support Malta on this issue.

"This is very sensitive for many delegations. However, we have been lobbying the EPP members to support this plea for help and we got the desired reaction."

Dr Borg described the support by the EPP as another positive step forward in Malta's effort to put this issue on the forefront of the European agenda. He said that the EPP is the largest political party in Europe controlling the governments of many member states and thus its support is crucial.