Committee of the Regions approves resolution supporting Malta

The Committee of the Regions (CoR) has called on the EU's border agency Frontex to step up its patrols against illegal immigration in the Mediterranean.

The CoR has adopted a resolution, tabled by Ian Micallef, a Maltese member of the committee, on the European Commission's proposal on a Comprehensive European Migration Policy And Reinforcing The Management Of The EU's Southern Maritime Borders.

The resolution referred specifically to the patrol missions by Frontex in the Sicily-Malta-Libya strait and called for the strengthening of the surveillance operations.

"The CoR stresses the need that the Commission ensures that the sea border patrols by Frontex, particularly off the Canary Islands and the central Mediterranean area, are effected during the entire periods of calm seas, particularly from mid-spring to the beginning autumn, in order to prevent further immigration flows to the EU member states," the resolution states. In a debate prior to the vote, Dr Micallef told CoR members it is not enough for Frontex to carry out such patrols only in July and restart them in September, as happened this year.

"Countries like Malta are facing this complex problem almost all year round and, thus, it is essential that longer patrols by Frontex are put in place as soon as possible," he said.

At the same time, the CoR resolution, which will now be sent to the Commission, expressed the institution's support for the proposal for the establishment of a pool of experts from member states' administrations that could be made available for deployment at short notice in other member states facing particular strains on their capacities.

Speaking to The Times following the vote, Dr Micallef expressed his satisfaction that his resolution found the support of CoR members from all the 27 member states and from across the political divide.

"This was a very important resolution for Malta as it reinforces the various efforts being made by the government and our MEPs to obtain more concrete support for Malta. The regional and local authorities of the EU are now also in tune with Malta's calls for help and I am sure the Commission will listen."