Malta to seek immediate start to patrols

Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg today intends to push for an immediate start to border patrols in the Mediterranean, even if clamping down on illegal immigration through such a means risks failure, he said.

"We will insist on the need for joint patrols, with or without Libya's cooperation," Dr Borg told The Times yesterday, ahead of an informal council meeting of Home Affairs Ministers in Tempere, Finland.

The future of patrols by Frontex, the EU border agency, off the coast of Libya are among the items to be discussed at the meeting.

Dr Borg said the patrols should start at once, and not in the coming months when the wintry weather eases the problem. It was important to give a clear message to the traffickers that the Mediterranean route was not a free-for-all.

"Of course, the risk of failure is there and we know patrols will not solve the problem," he admitted.

A similar operation off the Canary Islands was introduced a few weeks ago but the results have been far from positive, with hundreds of Africans still reaching the Spanish islands.

Dr Borg said he would have liked to see Libya on board the mission but added that Europe cannot keep postponing the problem subject to Libya's approval. A top Libyan minister told two Italian newspapers recently that Europe was putting too much emphasis on trying to stop immigrants as they cross the Mediterranean, and instead called for the provision of helicopters and off-road vehicles to stop the traffic from sub-Saharan Africa.

During today's meeting, Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini is in fact expected to propose a plan of assistance to Libya.

Dr Borg rebutted claims by Labour spokesman for Home Affairs Gavin Gulia that the Maltese government was not trying hard enough to strike a deal with Libya.

Italy and Libya have agreed to collaborate in the fight against illegal immigration on a technical level, but Dr Borg said it was not in Malta's interest to send its police to assist Libya.

Asked whether it was high time for Malta to take the kid gloves off and adopt a tougher stand with Libya, in view of its reluctance to collaborate with its neighbours on what is ultimately a very pressing problem, Dr Borg replied:

"Libya is our neighbour and the worst thing we can do is to close the door to discussions. We'll create more problems for ourselves if we go on the offensive. Besides, Libya is a sovereign country and nobody can impose anything on it. Let's also remember that Libya also faces a serious problem."