Wednesday, 9th July 2008
Frontex mission proceeding according to pre-established plans
Only Maltese and Italian assets are deployed by Frontex at present.
Frontex, the EU's border control agency, insisted yesterday that its anti-illegal immigration patrols off the shores of Malta will continue as planned.
Nautilus III, in the central Mediterranean, will proceed according to pre-established plans and will be running until the end of October for a total of 23 weeks, a spokesman for Frontex told The Times yesterday.
This year's mission, the third of its kind, is the longest to be coordinated by Frontex and is aimed at deterring organised criminal organisations from ferrying illegal immigrants from north African countries to the EU's shoreline.
Frontex's spokesman said that, although at present only Maltese and Italian assets are deployed in the area, the mission is functioning well and according to the operational plans agreed with all the participating member states. The Nautilus III mission was recently criticised due to the lack of surveillance assets from Germany and France, which are supposed to participate in the patrols together with the Maltese and Italian armed forces. The spokesman said that the operational plan envisaged that not all countries would necessarily be involved simultaneously in the operation.
"The joint operation is planned months in advance and, therefore, at times you can see means from some member states and at other times from others. This is just how this mission is planned. However, I can assure you that everything is running according to the operational plan agreed with all the member states involved," the spokesman said.
Asked specifically whether France and Germany are still participating, the spokesman insisted that both member states are still involved. However, he admitted that only Italy and Malta have their assets deployed at present.
"The absence of assets from the other member states does not mean that the operation is postponed or halted. We can have other means from other member states (France and Germany) tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Drawing conclusions that the operation is not working is just too simplistic," he insisted.
Apart from Malta and Italy, the main contributors in terms of assets and personnel towards the Nautilus III mission, Germany and France have also pledged helicopters and vessels.
This year's mission commenced on May 16 and has a budget of €8 million. Eighty per cent of all expenses incurred by Malta's armed forces for this mission are covered by EU funds.
RSS
Comments
Flaw No. 2 - They claim Nautilus-3 is their biggest gig going, and have reinforced surveillance capabilities. We'd like that confirmed in comparison with Nautilus 1, 2 and prt 2 of 2 (another sick joke suspending the operation at the high season's peak last year to restart it later)..
Their premise/raisson d'etre: a vessel on the high seas can only be stopped if there's justified suspicion that there are slaves or pirates on board of a vessel. Otherwise, the patrol vessel informs would-be migrants that entrance into Maltese territory of Malta without proper documentation (travel document, visa) and sufficient financial means is an offence. Wow, as if a displaced stateless African is bothered having paid US$ 2,000 circa for the ride that far!
So, slating FRONTEX off the scenario, and remembering as hindsight that migration pressure in the Mediterranean has been high since 2002, is still high and will remain high as long as the problem will not be addressed at the source, i.e. oil-rich Libya that laughs in everybody's faces!
What is the involvement criterion of France & Germany? Were the assets delivered as pre planned?
In fairness to our MEP success has to be published, if only to justify the Millions of Euro invested in this project!
Makes me puke. A few birds seem to be more important than this problem. Hypocrites one and all.
The Libyan plan.
Give Malta a couple of years, and at this rate it'll become another outpost of Africa rather than a European nation, just like the take over of Marseille and Nice in France by Algerians and Moroccans.
Hats off to the AFM boys: they've been bending over backwards since 2002 with all this momentum of operations, who else in the world faces such silent invasions?
AFFRONTEX is going to continue to provide escort for the ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS to come to Malta safe and sound.