Illegal immigration cannot be solved through financial investment alone but the most important element in tackling this issue is a stronger political will particularly at the level of the EU Council of Ministers, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said.

Dr Muscat, who still holds a seat in the European Parliament, touched upon the subject of immigration that has virtually gone unmentioned by the two main political parties over these past months when Malta experienced a record influx of immigrants.

During a meeting with Libor Secka, the Director General of European Affairs within the Czech Republic's Foreign Affairs Ministry, Dr Muscat also raised the issue of increasing energy prices.

It was unacceptable that families were put in a situation where they had to choose between buying basic products or paying their water and electricity bills, he said. While it was understandable that energy could not be offered for free, Dr Muscat stressed that access to it was to be perceived as a right.

Mr Secka said that when the Czech Republic takes over the EU presidency next year energy will be one of the primary areas of focus. Other areas will be competitiveness and foreign relations.

Dr Muscat agreed that attention should be directed at competitiveness but this should not come at the expense of the social net.

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