Friday, 12th September 2008
Significant Maltese presence at European Parliament migration conference
Malta was very well represented at a two-day joint meeting in Brussels on migration organised by the European Parliament and the French Senate to get together MEPs and members of Parliament from the 27 EU member states.
Contrary to previous similar occasions when Maltese MPs were conspicuous by their absence, Malta had a four-member delegation including Justice and Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil, Labour's spokesman for home affairs Michael Falzon and Nationalist MP Jean Pierre Farrugia.
The meeting focused on migration and integration polices in Europe although the Maltese delegation focused on one-on-one meetings promoting the island's stance on the need of burden sharing among EU member states.
"We are using these meetings and conferences to spread the word around in favour of Malta's case," Dr Mifsud Bonnici told The Times.
"I am just coming from similar conferences in Kiev and Paris, where I lobbied for Malta's case. We want burden sharing to form part of the EU policy but first we want to make sure that everyone understands our position and our realities.
"There is still some convincing to do."
Dr Falzon said that Malta should seek to persuade its EU partners to help. "It is evident that we can't tackle this problem alone and we want the EU to do more," he said.
Asked whether he believes the government is doing its utmost in diplomatic fora on this issue, Dr Falzon said there is always more that can be done but the issue is being tackled well.
"Obviously, we need to insist more with Frontex on the need to have effective patrols and, at the same time, we need to increase repatriations, although this is not so easy."
During the conference, Dr Busuttil called on the EU to work on a resettlement programme for refugees in its member states.
"I cannot understand how a small country like Malta already has a repatriation programme for refugees with the US and not with the EU.
"We are part of the EU and small countries deserve to be shown effective solidarity," he insisted.
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Comments
In Malta's case, we cannot use our army like the Russians did but we could stir up the pot. In the last election, the Nationalist party showed that it can push GonziPN very well(a masterpiece). I am sure that they know how to create a situation in the International media which will make the EU take action and do its duty to get us out of the situation they themselves put us in.
Why not confiscate the EU building in Malta and use it as an open center, just to catch the International media. (example). Do something that would shake them fast.
The Nationalist supporters and secretly, its MP's are of one mind. The Labour supporters are with us, to remove the immigrants. On this issue, we are one nation, in a time of crisis.
Dear Gonzi " to lead people, walk behind them" (Lao Tzu)
Nothing new really, no?
I, for one, prefer if Frontex stopped its Malta operations immediately for good. The money could be spent on far more important things rather than on a complimentary sea and air taxi service for illegals.
As regard Frontex their remit is to escort the immigrants to the nearest coast if Libya refuses to give aid to the illegal immigrants. Therefore if the EU will not strike a deal with the Colonel we have to continue with the status quo! Or be politically incorrect, maybe the EU will accept our activities like they did to the ‘Roma’ episode!
One would expect our MEP's and Minister Mifsud Bonnici to be a bit more pushy, preferably using harsher tones re the way the EU keeps on promising but never delivering, especially when one considers what is at stake for us if we continue to incur such a massive influx on a yearly basis.
That's because our politicians don't have the guts to stand up to the new colonizing power, i.e. the EU.