Important discussion on immigration falls victim to lack of pairing

Immigration is one of the main items on the agenda of the 5+5 Western Mediterranean Forum being held in Mauritania today, a discussion deemed of vital importance to Malta but which it will have to miss because there is no pairing agreement in Parliament.

The Mauritania meeting coincides with a vote in Parliament this evening.

Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said when contacted yesterday that 13 meetings of the forum have so far been held and this was the first time that Malta would be absent.

The 5+5 Western Mediterranean Forum is made up of Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Malta, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal.

Through pairing arrangements, members of the opposition are coupled with government MPs on official business abroad.

The opposition MPs so paired do not vote so that the government can retain its parliamentary majority. Since this government has a majority of only one seat, it needs all its MPs to be present whenever a vote is taken because the opposition has so far rejected government offers on pairing.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said that this should have been a very important meeting for Malta and it was imperative that the country did not miss such events.

The country had to keep up the consultation and dialogue process with Maghreb and other African states on illegal migration and such meetings were also important for making personal contacts, especially since some of the ministers at these meetings did not attend other fora.

He said that Malta should have been present for the 5+5 meeting at a senior level, for it was not the kind of meeting he could send a representative to. It was a meeting only he, as Minister of Home Affairs, could attend.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said that Malta had a big advantage in being considered a friend by North African countries but it had to continuously work at this relationship. Attending such meetings made a difference.

The minister hoped to make up for Malta's absence at other meetings and said that, if necessary, he was willing to visit Mauritania for talks with his counterpart at the first opportunity.

"Direct personal contact is very important. You get to know your counterparts on a first name basis and call them if there is a problem," he said.