Labour MEPs call for change in EU policy on illegal immigrants

The three Labour MEPs - Dr John Attard Montalto, Joseph Muscat and Louis Grech - are calling on the European Union to amend its regulations on the treatment of illegal immigrants so as to ease the pressure on frontier states.

The appeal is being made as part of a resolution on detention camps in Malta due to be discussed in the European Parliament tomorrow.

The issue was placed on the Parliament's agenda following a request by the European Socialist Group after consulting the MLP.

On Friday, the conference of presidents of the European Parliament (EP) also said it had accepted a request by the parliament's Civil Liberties Committee to discuss an urgent resolution on illegal immigration in Malta.

The resolution will be formally presented by the committee's vice-president, Italian MEP Stefano Zappalà who headed a delegation of MEPs who visited detention camps in Malta.

Mr Muscat said that although the original intention was for a vote to be taken tomorrow, it appeared that the Greens wanted more time and a vote might be taken on Wednesday, coinciding with an address to the Parliament by President Eddie Fenech Adami (see also "President's engagements" on page 82).

Mr Muscat and Mr Grech yesterday made a number of proposals in connection with the resolution.

They suggested that the resolution should acknowledge the realities faced by Malta and propose effective assistance to the country.

All EU directives on the welfare of illegal immigrants, particularly those in detention centres, should be respected along with human rights conventions.

European Union funds needed to be allocated for this issue and it should be made easier for small countries such as Malta to use them, especially when there was a sudden influx of tourists.

The Socialist Group is also proposing that the European Commission should revise the Dublin II rules so that migrants' applications for refugee status would no longer have to be considered only by countries where the migrants first arrive, a situation which is causing excessive pressure on frontier countries. This responsibility should be shared by the member states.

Mr Grech, speaking at the parliament's plenary session in 2004, had also called for greater burden-sharing by the member states while Mr Muscat had urged the presidency of the Council of Ministers to allocate funds to states who had to care for migrants. The presidency had upheld the request.

MLP Home Affairs spokesman Gavin Gulia welcomed the work being done by the Labour MEPs, underlining the importance of burden-sharing.