Thanks, but not enough

According to a report in The Times last month the European Commission is aiming to grant Malta over €7 million in new emergency funds this year to help the island respond to the continuous influx of illegal immigrants. Our answer should be "thanks, but not enough".

Throwing money our way will solve absolutely nothing because apart from money we also need all other EU states to share with us this increasingly heavy burden.

Brussels will not simply hand over the millions of euros to Malta directly but we have to present project proposals to obtain such help. Now I sincerely do not know what more we can do to prove that we really need help, as if the daily arrival of illegal immigrants is not proof enough.

The Maltese government is taking a humane yet tough stand with regard to illegal immigration. The government and the Maltese people do understand that most of the illegal immigrants who make it to Malta come from war-ravaged countries and they leave because they prefer to risk life and limb in the open seas instead of continuing to live in such miserable conditions. How can you not pity these people?

However, we are too small and our resources too limited to shoulder this massive problem alone. Unfortunately, the other 26 member states have been of little help so far and countries like Germany, and to a certain extent France, seem to be dragging their feet in accepting Malta's proposal of burden-sharing.

True, Germany has accepted to take part in the EU's border agency Frontex something that surprisingly our neighbours Italy have so far refused to do. During last month's Justice and Home Affairs meeting in Luxembourg Malta's burden-sharing proposal found no support except from France.

I wonder what Commissioner Franco Frattini has to say with regard to comments by his spokesman Friso Roscam Abbing, who rubbished Malta's burden-sharing proposal, saying it would only serve as a magnet for more illegal migrants to attempt to enter Europe illegally? Solidarity, which happens to be one of the core values of a united Europe, needs yet to be put into practice.

More than 6,000 illegal immigrants reached Malta since 2002. It is estimated that about 600 people are dying each summer trying to cross over to Europe. Since the start of the year Malta has taken in over 400 illegal immigrants.

Some 800 asylum seekers are in detention and another 1,700 housed in open centres. Faced with such a human tragedy, we have had no serious commitment from the EU to tackle this problem from its roots and that is helping in a tangible manner the African continent and its people.

A common European policy on migration is also needed which policy would help for more co-ordination between the member states and third countries. Certainly, the EU needs to brush up its intelligence-gathering services to combat the criminal organisations carrying out this illegal trafficking of migrants.

The EU is also dragging its feet with regard to Libya, the country from where the majority of migrants leave to enter Europe illegally. Too many speeches, a lot of promises, but very little, if any, action so far.

This will lead us nowhere; it will only worsen the problem, which as the deputy prime minister correctly insisted, is not only Malta's problem but is an EU problem and something must be done fast. Sometimes I ask whether rushing to approve the EU Constitutional Treaty was the right decision. Perhaps some form of reluctance would have provided us with more bargaining power.

Back to the promised funds, it seems that these funds are coming our way thanks to the insistence of Foreign Minister Michael Frendo (who is doing an excellent job) that the EU Commission and member states are to "put their money where their mouth is".

That is however not enough. We have to make sure that this will be followed by concrete action, namely that the burden-sharing proposal is put into practice with immediate effect.

I sincerely hope that these millions of euros are not an attempt by the EU to try and shut us up. €7 million alone will solve absolutely nothing. The Maltese government should keep insisting on its burden-sharing proposal.

I trust that, should the promised funds materialise, nothing will change from our humane yet tough position.