Contrasting statements raise doubts on EU sea patrols

The European Union's border agency has dismissed claims by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo that Malta had experienced an influx of immigrants because the EU had concentrated patrolling efforts in the Western Mediterranean.

In a statement sent to EU member states last Tuesday, Dr Frendo suggested that migrants were trying to reach Europe via the Central Mediterranean route which had become more vulnerable because the EU started blocking migrants in the Western Mediterranean.

However, a spokesman for Frontex, the EU's border control agency, has denied that any such patrols on the Western Mediterranean route had started.

"We can't understand where the Maltese Foreign Minister got his information from because Frontex has not started any patrols yet. In fact, we are still weeks from the launch of these joint patrols in the Western Mediterranean. The same can be said for Central Mediterranean patrols which concern Malta. We are still trying to get everything together," the spokesman said.

Sources close to Frontex said there were purely technical reasons why patrols off Malta have not yet started, largely due to the fact that coordination of member states in this type of operation was most complicated.

In addition, Frontex and the European Commission were still waiting for a reply from the Libyan authorities, a crucial aspect for patrols to be successful. A pending issue is whether Tripoli would take back migrants stopped by European patrols outside Libyan waters, the Frontex sources said.

When contacted for his reaction yesterday, Dr Frendo expressed surprise that "the spokesman of an EU agency should be so aggressive with regard to a fellow member state". Frontex are reacting negatively to our pressure to carry out their duty in the Mediterranean. Perhaps Frontex will understand the situation better when they open a Mediterranean office in Malta as had been discussed in the debate when the agency was set up," Dr Frendo added.

In his statement addressed to EU ambassadors resident in Malta, Dr Frendo had said: "Malta expects that Frontex should immediately launch joint sea patrols in the Central Mediterranean in an attempt to stem the flow of illegal migrants and to transmit the message that concrete action is underway also in respect of this route. The fact that operations of this nature have been launched for the West African route has meant that the Central Mediterranean route has become even more vulnerable and exposed. This is an imbalance that must be rectified without delay."

Mr Frattini said in an interview with Parliament Magazine on June 26 that an operation to support Spain patrolling the ocean close to the Canary Islands was "currently underway".

"I have succeeded to involve 13 member states that have put at our disposal, I mean under the coordination of the European agency for the first time, offshore boats, helicopters, airplanes and experts to patrol jointly the ocean. A second mission will be organised to support Malta. It will be another patrolling mission, in the Mediterranean, to rescue people in need, to prevent trafficking in humans," Mr Frattini said.

In May, international newspapers - including the International Herald Tribune - reporting on the EU's aid to deal with the influx of migrants placed much of the EU's focus on Spain and the assistance it needs to curb the influx of African migrants into the Canary Islands. Most mentioned only in passing the fact that Malta, Italy and Cyprus also have immigration problems.