EU agrees to help Libya

EU justice and home affairs ministers yesterday asked EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini to come up with concrete proposals on helping Libya deal with illegal immigration, particularly on its southern borders.

The development was welcomed by Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg who described the initiative as crucial for Malta. Most of the hundreds of illegal immigrants who land here depart from Libya. Speaking to The Times from Tempere, Finland, where the ministers met in council, Dr Borg said Malta had long insisted that Libya receive some help from the EU.

"If Libya can better patrol its southern borders, then there will be far fewer illegal immigrants trying to cross over to Malta and Italy from its northern borders. We want to cooperate with Libya on this issue and it seems that the EU is finally getting this message."

Following yesterday's discussions, EU ministers instructed Mr Frattini to present his formal proposals by the next Justice Council meeting scheduled for early next month. Libya has already presented Mr Frattini with a list of equipment it needs to patrol its desert borders, including helicopters, vehicles and night visors.

Libya had opposed the patrols saying it wanted EU help to control its southern borders before it would consider cooperating with the Frontex mission. Libya and Italy were coordinating efforts but this does not involve joint sea patrols.

Commission sources told The Times that Libya's requests are estimated to cost about €100 million.

During the meeting, Dr Borg stressed the need for the EU's border control agency, Frontex, to start its planned anti-immigration patrols in the central Mediterranean as soon as possible.

Asked by The Times to confirm reports in Brussels of the imminent start of these patrols, Dr Borg said they should start soon but did not give any date.

"Italy has just announced that it is going to dispatch a Corvette for the Jason 1 mission and this is another step forward which can mean that the patrols will start soon," he said.

Operation Jason 1 will involve surveillance from vessels and aircraft provided by Malta, Italy, Greece, France and Germany. The EU is still trying to convince other countries to contribute to the mission.

Dr Borg yesterday discussed the issue on a bilateral basis with his Italian counterpart Giuliano Amato. He said Malta was keeping in close touch with the Italians in order to make sure that the two countries' efforts were fully coordinated.