More funds to combat illegal immigration

In its approval of the budget estimates for 2007, the European Parliament has backed proposals to substantially raise the funding dedicated to the EU's border control agency Frontex, and to specific programmes dealing with illegal immigration.

Frontex will be allocated €35 million instead of the initial proposal by the Council of €17 million. Another €170 million have been voted for the External Borders Fund from which Malta is eligible to receive support to guard its borders.

This amount is also higher than the original allocation proposed by the European Commission in the draft budget.

Over the past weeks, Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil has insisted at the Budgets Committee on the need for a higher allocation to Frontex and proposed amendments in this sense. Intervening during the debate prior to yesterday's vote, Dr Busuttil said the European Parliament was championing the fight against illegal immigration. Next year's budget would be the first one which allocated funds to help countries guard their borders to stem illegal immigration.

Dr Busuttil called on EU governments to support the Parliament on the increased allocation to Frontex and said that the Parliament would do all it could to make sure the agency is adequately funded.