Talks on migrant proposal

The government's burden-sharing proposal to deal with the illegal immigration problem will be discussed by EU ministers in the coming days, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.

Addressing a Nationalist Party mass meeting on the Floriana granaries to mark Independence Day, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said that the proposal - suggesting the relocation of refugees to other EU states - was made by the government during discussions on a new European policy on illegal immigration.

"The government has proposed a mechanism similar to the one Malta has with the US through which a number of refugees are relocated to the US to start a new life there. The principle is the same, with the aim that refugees are relocated to other EU member states, putting into practice the principle of shared responsibility," he said.

During his speech, Dr Gonzi listed the biggest challenges that the country will have to face in the near future.

He appealed to the Maltese face the current situation in the world - in light of the volatile oil prices and the financial turmoil in the US - with courage.

If Malta wanted cleaner energy, he said, it had to be prepared to invest more in alternative energy.

Dr Gonzi said that in order to meet the challenges, the Maltese had to continue respecting their Christian values, which included assisting illegal immigrants who needed help.

The Prime Minister said the tourism industry was performing well and indications were that tourism figures will be better than last year's, which had already broken records.

He also pledged that the government would continue to try and control the rising cost of living.

Addressing a mass meeting for the first time since he was elected PN general secretary, Paul Borg Olivier paid tribute to PN's former leaders and said that Malta's independence was the first step towards EU membership.

He spoke about the government's 2015 vision saying that it will be taking shape by 2014, a year when Malta will be marking its 50th anniversary since independence and its 10th year as an EU member.