EU offer to African states

The European Union has promised African countries it would offer their citizens jobs and training if they cooperate in curbing illegal migration and implement effective mechanisms for the readmission of migrants from Europe.

Addressing Foreign and Home Affairs Ministers at the EU-Africa meeting on migration and development being held in Tripoli, Libya, yesterday the EU Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, Franco Frattini, said the EU would make it easier for Africans to enter Europe legally, even if within limited quotas, provided they agreed to accept back migrants entering Europe illegally.

The EU would establish a job mobility portal for Africa to facilitate supply and demand of human resources next year. At the same time, the Commission would be proposing new legislation on penalties against employers of illegal migrants because the opportunity to work illegally in Europe was serving as a magnet, Mr Frattini said.

While the EU pledges to help migrants return to their homeland voluntarily, by for example educating them to remain in their country of origin, Africans need to effectively honour their international obligations to readmit their citizens caught living in Europe illegally, Mr Frattini said.

Speaking on behalf of the EU presidency, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja also brought up the readmission issue, a point Malta has been stressing for the past year.

Mr Frattini called for the setting up of migration profiles that would give a clear picture of migration flows in Africa, as these would provide the information needed to develop concrete measures.

Pledging the EU's support for the monitoring of migratory routes, the commissioner said the EU was ready to help build up the capacity of African states to manage asylum and migration through twinning arrangements.

In his intervention, Foreign Minister Michael Frendo said Malta welcomed the commitment expressed by both European and African countries to tackle this issue holistically, calling for the implementation of the countries of origin's international commitments to readmit their citizens caught illegally in Europe as they had agreed to do within the framework of the Cotonou agreement.

Signed in 2000 by the EU and 64 Asian, African and Caribbean nations, the agreement lays down that the latter shall accept their nationals upon the request of an EU member state "and without further formalities".

"Of course, migration, when managed, organised and legal, can have positive effects. Migration is propelled by aspirations of a better future. On the other hand, illegal immigration is in the hands of criminal networks that exploit this element of hope of ordinary people for a better life undermining at the same time the rights of the migrants as well as the rule of international law," Dr Frendo said.

While it subscribes to the principles of granting Africa development aid, help for repatriated immigrants and assistance to countries of transit to control their borders and to combat illegal immigration in their territories, Malta thinks migrants should be identified and their identity properly documented.

The Tripoli conference was another step to tackle this issue in a holistic manner, ensuring concerted action with respect to all migratory routes, Dr Frendo said.

During a conference in Rabat, Morocco earlier this year, Malta had made its displeasure clear at how the focus lay only on the western Mediterranean route involving Senegal, Morocco and Spain, while the problems created by the central Mediterranean migratory route through Libya, Malta and Italy were being disregarded. EU officials said they consider this conference to be the first significant step by Libya, which faces its own problems as a transit and destination country for Sub Saharan migrants, to cooperate in curbing illegal immigration.

A Libyan government official who spoke to The Times said the EU's commitment to assist Libya through equipment and staff to help patrol its southern border was welcomed by the Libyans.

"With our huge Mediterranean coast to the north and an enormous desert to the south, we can hardly be expected to be the EU's police if we are not helped," he said.

The conference ends today with a joint declaration by EU and African ministers.

Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg, who was among the ministers who met with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi yesterday, is expected to address today's session.