EU proposes aid on illegal migration

European Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini yesterday proposed making available €2.7 million (Lm1.1 million) to member states such as Malta needing urgent help to deal with the problem of illegal immigration.

Mr Frattini was reacting to Monday's debate in the European Parliament on illegal immigration in Malta. He described the issues raised by MEPs in the debate as serious and as requiring a response in a spirit of solidarity.

On Monday, the European Parliament debated a resolution submitted by the Civil Liberties Committee calling on the EU to immediately help Malta cope with the problem of illegal immigration. The final vote will be taken tomorrow.

Mr Frattini said that the problems faced by Malta are common to several member states, which because of their geographical situation are particularly affected by arrivals of large numbers of persons at their borders and may face problems in providing adequate standards in the reception of irregular migrants and asylum seekers.

"As a first immediate measure to address the situation, I will propose to make available, in the framework of the ARGO Programme, €2.7 million (Lm1.1 million) which could be used immediately by member states for urgent situations, such as those faced by Malta. The money could be used, for example, to improve the reception and administrative capacity of a member state to deal with large numbers of irregular migrants arriving at its external border," he said.

Mr Frattini said that in addition to this initiative, he will be proposing amendments to the EU's European Refugee Fund in order to enable member states to access funds quickly and with a minimum of bureaucratic process to deal with the consequences of sudden arrivals of large numbers of people who may be in need of international protection.

"Specifically, the amendments will aim to support emergency measures designed to grant appropriate reception conditions for asylum seekers, including basic needs and fair and effective asylum procedures," he said.

In a report following their visit to Malta, the delegation from the Civil Liberties Committee members recommended that the EU revise its convention regulating illegal immigration and asylum, known as the Dublin Convention. The report states that this convention should take note of the specific problems concerning small member states such as Malta and thus should introduce burden sharing mechanisms between the EU member states.

The committee is also recommending that member states should take, on a voluntary basis, some of the refugees currently residing in Malta to alleviate its problems.

Mr Frattini did not react to these specific recommendations.

Sources close to the Commission yesterday told The Times it is highly improbable that other member states will accept this type of recommendation.

Amendments to the Dublin Convention will have to be agreed by the 25 member states.