Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
MEP lambastes Frontex head
Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil yesterday dismissed the claim made by the chief of the EU's border agency Frontex that its anti-migration mission in the Mediterranean, Nautilus III, is a failure.
Dr Busuttil, the European Parliament's rapporteur on the EU's Common Migration Policy, called Illika Laitinen's comments "clumsy" and "bizarre", accusing him of trying to shed his responsibility.
"I find Mr Laitinen's comments rather clumsy because, taken to its logical conclusion, it means that Frontex missions should be stopped. This would relieve Mr Laitinen of a great deal of responsibility but it would still leave Malta on its own in the face of a constant flow of immigration amounting to 2,000 arrivals per year. And what then?" he asked in comments to The Times.
Dr Busuttil also raised the issue with European Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot during a meeting of the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee yesterday.
The Sunday Times reported Mr Laitinen saying that the patrols being conducted in the central Mediterranean region, comprising the sea stretch between Sicily, Malta and Libya, are not achieving the desired results.
He claimed that, on the contrary, the EU's increased patrols in the sea off Malta and Lampedusa might be one of the main reasons why the two islands have this year received more migrants than ever. He said that traffickers force migrants to sink their boats close to the coasts of the two islands so that they would be saved by Frontex vessels and taken ashore.
Describing such comments as "bizarre", Dr Busuttil said the suggestion perpetrated by Mr Laitinen and some EU member states - that any support for Malta would act as a pull factor for migrants - was an easy way out of helping Malta.
"This would bizarrely mean that we are better off without any help at all because help might make things worse. But we all know that we need help because the burden we are carrying is disproportionate."
Dr Busuttil, who has been instrumental in getting the European Parliament to increase the Frontex's budget by 30 per cent, precisely so that the agency will have the necessary funds to carry out this year's six-month patrol mission off Malta, insisted that Frontex could be effective if it managed to persuade other countries, particularly Libya, to cooperate.
"Frontex could be much more effective if it convinced other EU member states to participate in its missions rather than leaving Maltese and Italian boats on their own," he insisted.
"Most importantly, Frontex could be more effective if it persuaded Libya to join its missions so that boat people are truly deterred from leaving Libya in the first place and intercepted boats could be redirected back to Libya."
A mission similar to Nautilus III, this time undertaken by Frontex off the coasts of the Spanish Canary Islands, is having much better results. Called Hera, the mission has the collaboration of third countries (Mauritania and Senegal) from where immigrants embark only to be immediately turned back when intercepted by Frontex.
Dr Busuttil said that, instead of taking the easy way out and stopping missions by calling them a failure, as Mr Laitinen implied, "Frontex should be getting its act together and making its missions more effective."
31 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Catherine Farrugia
Sep 26th 2008, 09:18
The task of Frontex should be saving them from the sea and returning them back to African shores, it would encourage them to cross the mediterranean and it would be more affective the task of Frontex. Saving them and bring them on European shores it will encourage them to take the risk no matter what.
l Galea
Sep 26th 2008, 08:26
@M. Mercieca
Mr Mercieca, we do not care for the rest of europe.
Our situation is not only totally different, but is the opposite.
So why should we be lumped with illegal immigrants because of the rest of europe?
And if they need immigrants, why don't they take those that are in Malta and who we do not need.
Because they don't need them and their citizens do not want them also Mr Mercieca.
No Mr Mercieca, the eu and mainland european countries are hypocrisy at its best.
Charles Sammut
Sep 25th 2008, 23:01
@ M Mercieca
And why do you think is the reason why Europeans have stopped making babies? They cannot afford them, they are too busy working and paying taxes to support the millions of unemployable immigrants in their countries.
Take Malta for example. Most couple are now marrying in their late 20's but cannot afford to have babies until their mid 30's. They have to keep 2 full-time jobs and probably some part-time work as well to keep up with loan repayments.
Now go to Hal Far or Msida and watch all the immigrant mummies strolling around with several children in tow, a baby in a pram and pregnant to boot.
They need not worry about loans or housing or health care or water and electricity bills. They get mobile phones and top-up cards, free internet, education, clothes and pocket money as well as children's allowance. We pay.
What Europe needs is not immigrants but an incentive to allow European women be mothers. That is a human right which is being denied them.
Finally, if Europe needs immigrants, why don't they take a few thousand immigrants off us?
Answer - because it is a big lie.
Stefan Balzan
Sep 25th 2008, 22:36
@ David Seychel
You are diverting from the whole point Mr Seychel. There is a difference between saving the lives of immigrants and being a " Vacuum Cleaner of the Mediterranean" as you erroneously put it. I would not put humanitarian issues on the same level and reduce them to such a discussion.
M. Mercieca
Sep 25th 2008, 21:02
Europe's population would decline without migrants
24.09.2008
The population of the European Union is avoiding decline mainly thanks to immigration from other parts of the world, as native Europeans have stopped making as many babies.
While anti-immigrant feeling is on the rise both amongst European politicians and the wider public, ironically, the union's population would soon go into decline without the immigrants that arrive here, according to fresh figures from the EU's statistics office, Eurostat.
Europeans are having fewer babies, meaning immigration fills in the population gap (Photo: European Commission)
Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and Romania.
In only France, the UK and the Netherlands was natural change the main driver of population growth.
http://euobserver.com/9/26799/?rk=1
I think it would be useful to understand the bigger issue before we point fingers or opine.
l Galea
Sep 25th 2008, 17:29
"In this state within a state they have their own abattoir in which animals are slaughtered according to Sharia tenets by having their throats slit and allowed to bleed to death"
Where are those animal rights activists?
And why is the Government allowing this slaughter to take place in Malta where animals are supposed to be protected and slaughtered in a humane manner?
If they don't want to eat meat slaughtered according to our standards then they should do without it.
This shows that even they do not want to integrate in Maltese society.
David Seychell
Sep 25th 2008, 17:20
@Stefan Balzan
"the MAIN focus of FRONTEX operations has been that of saving lives."
I completely agree with you Mr Balzan. Frontex was never meant to reduce the influx in Malta -as our politcians tried to make us believe - but to act as a vacuum cleaner of the Mediterranean and make sure that all irregular immigrants reached their target destination. The fact that this year saw a record increase of arrivals in Malta proves you right.
Hence if one sees 'Frontex' from your perspective - i.e. to help the immigrants arrive safely in Malta - then, I agree with you that Frontex was a success.
a.cassar
Sep 25th 2008, 16:08
At least simon has admitted that unless libya plays its part in all of this Frontex will not succeed. Libya is the crux of the problem where malta is concerned. But of course gaddafi will never cooperate because he doesn't have to! No EU country is going to put pressure on him knowing that libya is an oil rich country. malta, on the other hand is just a bit of rock in the middle of the med. would any country risk its reations with libya for our sake? We are alone in this and we must act in our own interest. Meet the migrants off the libyan territorial waters and turn them back. if gaddafi refuses to help them it's not our fault. Charity is not just the monopoly of Christians. islam believes in solidarity too so let's put them to the test.
Charles Camilleri
Sep 25th 2008, 16:04
I still want someone to explain to me what is the main aim of Frontex and what has it achieved so far. Many are asking what is the solution. Permit me to suggest one. All boats should be supplied with food, water and fuel and returned to nearest point to Libya. How about that. We have to take matters into our hands. No EU country is going to do things for us. They have enough trouble with illegal immigrant in their countries. The problem is growing daily and the consequences will be great if we do not tackle it now. Seeing these people coming ashore do not seem to me they spent days at sea in those small boats. So bigger ones had brought them in the vicinity of Malta.
Stefan Balzan
Sep 25th 2008, 16:02
@ David Seychel
RE: "but that it has been a total failure is totally false." So you are an EXPERT more than the CHIEF of frontex who said otherwise right?
FRONTEX has NOT been a total failure, their operation has been limited not because of the operations being flawed as such, but because there is still a lack of agreement with libya regarding re-admission of immigrants. Other than that the main focus of FRONTEX operations has been that of saving lives. Obviously our self centered lives impedes us from seeing further from our livelihood.
Other than being negative and criticizing senselessly about FRONTEX and discussing the abortion of their missions isn't it wiser to keep such a mechanism in operation whilst strengthening it as Dr. Busuttil appropriately mentions?
louise vella
Sep 25th 2008, 15:02
Simon Busuttil is no Brutus, but he should reflect on Shakespeare’s words in Julius Caesar: “The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars but in ourselves”.
In the current illegal immigration crisis we have, on one side, Gaddafi cynically using illegal immigrants to punish Italy for its colonial past and Malta for joining the EU. There are also unscrupulous traffickers in human beings, not hesitating to force trafficked illegal immigrants to sink their boats to be picked up by Frontex vessels or else drown.
On the other side, we have Lawrence Gonzi speaking about Christian values like an Archbishop and Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici speaking like Mother Theresa.
The solution does not lie with the EU but with us and more precisely with the Prime Minister.
He needs to take decisions in the national interest.
Alexander Morana
Sep 25th 2008, 14:58
Some of you are mentioning Libya; I had recently heard on SKY24, the Italian Minister for the Interior, Franco Maroni said that Libya is not respecting the recently signed treaties with Italy. Just yesterday 300 landed in Lampedusa, plus the same news channel mentioned the drowning of 35 immigrants? No mention of this in the Maltese news media?
Having said that, isn’t it obvious that if you want to catch a mouse you go to its hole and plug the hole? We all know who the mouse is and where the hole is. The EU has failed and Malta included in not bringing on Libya to cooperate in this endeavour, to fight human traffickers.
FRONTEX and burden-sharing are not the solutions but are part of the problem. Let’s wait and see come the MEP elections next year Simon Busuttil will be the first to come and wave his burden-sharing agreement in our faces to vote for his achievements.
Joanne Micallef
Sep 25th 2008, 13:43
@ P.Falzon - It is precisely because Malta saw an increase of 32% in illegal landings and a whopping increase of 192% in landings on Lampedusa so far that Frontex was deemed as a failure.
The ONLY way Frontex can succeed is if Libya was on board but not only, Libya must also accept to take back all those immigrants that are intercepted in its waters. Until this happens Frontex will only be a waste of time, money and human resources.
Cjarles Sammut
Sep 25th 2008, 13:42
@ J Cauchi
I appreciate your agreement with me. The solution is to patrol 12 nautical miles off the Libyan coast, in international waters and turn back boats which are obviously transporting illegal immigrants. Human trafficking is a crime just like drug and gun running. Therefore they have no right of innocent passage.
The vast majority of boats depart from the port of Zuwarah in western Libya, close to the Tunisian border. It will not be difficult to stem the flow, politicians willing.
Charles Sammut
Sep 25th 2008, 13:36
@ Anthony Gatt
You should go pay a visit to the Hal Far tent city, soon to become Hal Far mobile home city. You will be regaled with the amplified voice of the muezzin call the faithful to prayer. In this state within a state they have their own abattoir in which animals are slaughtered according to Sharia tenets by having their throats slit and allowed to bleed to death.
Some of the illegal immigrants who arrive are indeed Christian but the majority are not. So what did you expect Libya to do? Check their religion before they embark? Whatever their religion they are still impossible to integrate and assimilate. They do not want to. This is evident from other countries' experience.
I know my facts Mr Gatt.
Edwin Formosa
Sep 25th 2008, 13:35
@ Tony Caruana. I admire a Great Man like you saying 'Simon Busutill should leave his cosy office in Brussels' . Problem solved
debbie bugeja
Sep 25th 2008, 13:22
@Tony Caruana
not only Simon Busuttil , what about the other forur MEP?
l Galea
Sep 25th 2008, 12:48
@P Falzon
"Frontex has managed to cut back on the number of illegal immigrants that landed in Malta."
Are you living on the moon Mr Falzon?
Stephen Zammit
Sep 25th 2008, 12:46
FRONTEX is not the solution for the illegal immigation problem. It should be just one of a string of solutions which need to be achieved to narrow as far as possible the channel from the south.
What FRONTEX did so far was a crisis management exercise to mitigate the problem of boat traffic in the Mediterranean.
Wonder why Lampedusa suffered an influx this year reaching the margin of 190% and our margin was, yet remarkable, but much less than that - 30%. FRONTEX is intercepting the boats channeling towards the continent away from Malta, not to the extent we like but at least there are small results being reached.
So YES Malta needs a stronger and much more effective FRONTEX and not abolishing of FRONTEX missions.
Simon Busuttil has the foresight and is pushing on all fronts towards this.
Dr. Busuttil is an example for many politicians, and not only in Malta.
David Seychell
Sep 25th 2008, 12:42
@P Falzon
"We are a bunch of armchair critics who overnight become experts in matters we know little about." I think you are right, at least regarding yourself.
"but that it has been a total failure is totally false." So you are an EXPERT more than the CHIEF of frontex who said otherwise right?
Stefan Balzan
Sep 25th 2008, 12:33
@ Tony Caruana
Don't you think you are exhibiting a very limited and distorted point of view?
Would you rather trust someone who is confronting the situation and is showing you all of the cards that are to be played in front of you or someone who's keeping such an issue away from your eyes?
Without FRONTEX, the situation would have been much worse. Have you even considered that if Simon Busuttil hadn't increased FRONTEX budget by Euro 30 million there would have been lesser patrols, equivalent to more immigrants at our shores?
One cannot condemn FRONTEX on all levels but rather consider it as a mechanism which is working in the right direction towards the potential of becoming more efficient and successful.
P Falzon
Sep 25th 2008, 12:26
So typical of us here in Malta. We are a bunch of armchair critics who overnight become experts in matters we know little about.
Here we have a situation where one MEP - Simon Busuttil - is clearly going it alone against the might of the EU. If we have a national problem then why is it that none of the other MEPs are totally silent on the matter? Here I include David Casa!
Frontex has managed to cut back on the number of illegal immigrants that landed in Malta. That it needs improving is clear; but that it has been a total failure is totally false. One has only to look at the numbers that were intercepted and to compare the increases on our shores compared to other Med states.
Frontex has been given more funds to operate more effectively thanks to Simon Busuttil's intervention and it subsidizes much of the AFM's expenses.
What I would love to know is what constructive contribution the other 4 MEPs' (inc MLP Leader Joseph Muscat) have give on this matter. Please don't give me rhetoric!
James Sciortino
Sep 25th 2008, 12:06
@Tony Caruana - Even though Frontex failed to keep immigrants out, it does not mean that we should do away with it. It means that we should insist on making it work.
As to Simon Busuttil, whatever his performance has been, he at least got involved in the issue. I think we should be busier lambasting our other four MEPs who have conveniently avoided this controversial topic of crucial importance to Malta.
l Galea
Sep 25th 2008, 11:56
@Charles Sammut
Agree with you 100%
@Joseph Cauchi
Put them back on their boats after making them safe, give them food and water and tow them outside Malta's S&R area near the Libyan territorial waters with just enough fuel to make it to the Libyan shores.
What interests the eu is increasing trade with Libya for its mainland countries, not solving our illegal immigrants problems.
What amazes me is the blindfold that our MEPs have by not recognizing the truth when it stared them right in their face.
Can Dr Busuttil deny that sine AFFRONTEX was established we have been inundated by a greater number of illegal immigrants?
The reason is that the illegal immigrants are assured of a better chance of making it to Malta because when they meet with the AFFRONTEX patrol they sink their boat to be collected and transported to Malta.
Do they want to come to Malta?
Ask any soldier privately and he will tell you that when they meet the illegal immigrants on the sea all they keep saying is Marsa Marsa, because nowhere else in the eu are they pampered like they are in Malta.
Tony Caruana
Sep 25th 2008, 11:43
Of course Frontex has failed. Simon Busutill should leave his cosy office in Brussels and drive to MARSA and Hal Far to see How it failed !
Any way for 85 Thousand Euro PA I would say anything as well.
Joseph Cauchi
Sep 25th 2008, 10:53
@ Mr. Charles Sammut,
If your reasoning is correct as to why Libya will not halt the flow of illegal immigrants to Europe via Malta - in order to spread the Islamic faithin Europe - and thus will not co-operate with the EU and Malta on this matter, then, may I ask what is the solution?
By the way, I am not doubting your argument !
.
martin portelli
Sep 25th 2008, 10:48
Clumsy and ineffectual is the pathetic performance of Maltese diplomacy with regards Libya. What is the game, trying to eat the crumbs falling off the Italian diplomatic table ( I doubt very much any Maltese diplomatic Lazarus will be allowed to scrabble for crumbs under any French table.). When do we truly come of age diplomatically, are we to become the laughing stock of Europe, taken for a ride whenever, for whatever reason to the strains of Beethoven's wonderful Ode to Joy?
Joseph Sammut
Sep 25th 2008, 10:47
The pointless rhethoric going on about illegal migration and FRONTEX's failures to deter more illegal immigrants reaching Maltese shores miserably once again fail to latch on in any remote way the root of the problem: Libya!
Why isn't FRONTEX coming out clean, with the remainder of the so-called EU partner states by naming and shaming those key individuals in the Libyan establishment who are profiting in the racketeering of these sub-Saharan Africans? FRONTEX knows why the Libyans are dragging their feet on joint-patrolling like in West Africa, becuase there's ongoing economic gain to be lost by those in power on the Libyan side of the house.
How long is FRONTEX going to keep its migrants' debriefing intelligence gathered under wraps? Long enough for major EU states to strike more business deals with Libya at Malta's expense! We're being laughed at in the face by the Europeans as a small petty state with no bite or significant clout on the international scene on migration issues. Solidariety and cahs handouts aren't enough. The social ills illegal migration iare causing is being swept under the carpet.
The arrogance of some migrants pokes fun at any decent Christian sense of samaritan hospitality Dr. Gonzi!
Anthony Gatt
Sep 25th 2008, 10:34
Mr. Charles Sammut, firstly what I find particularly bizarrre is how you've managed to reduce the immigration issue to an invasion of religion. Without going into the moral inconsistencies and the lack of political inisight your analysis offers, it will suffice to point out that several of the immigrants who originate from countries like Ethiopia (and therefore normally do not qualify for aslyum status) are actually Christians!!! Know your facts Mr. Sammut!
On a more general note, I am tired of the several insipid comments, which continually fail to truly use the holistic depths of reason! The efforts of several columnists at putting in their contributions should duly be applauded. But now is the time to go a step further and to ask these columnists to truly engage in an interesting debate... Think of the implications of what you say... and when you disagree with something say why... and not just on a superficial level!!! Let's use this site as a platform to vomit our instinctual reactions and to burden our general emotions...
Readers can just read, but writers MUST think! So please do so!
Adrian Micallef
Sep 25th 2008, 10:30
Busuttil is right in saying that all Frontex wants to do is get us off its back. Rather than give up and claim failure, Frontex should engage in making its missions more effective as they are Spain. Frontex also has the ability to engage with third-countries. It should work more on this aspect.
It is also important to note that Frontex or no Frontex, EU or non-EU, our Armed Forces would still be obliged to provide search and rescue services, and Malta would still have to accept asylum applications. These are INTERNATIONAL LAW obligations which Malta would have to abide by anyway. At least Frontex has also served to finance up to 80% of such operation, which we would have had to do anyway by ourselves.
Charles Sammut
Sep 25th 2008, 10:01
Bizarre is Dr Buzuttil's refusal to accept that Frontex has in fact acted as a catalyst to attract more illegal immigrants to Malta.
He wrote:
"Most importantly, Frontex could be more effective if it persuaded Libya to join its missions so that boat people are truly deterred from leaving Libya in the first place and intercepted boats could be redirected back to Libya."
But Dr Busuttil, is it possible that you don't realise that Libya will never accept this. It is Col Gaddafi's goal to flood Europe with musilms and convert Europe to Islam. Of course he has every right to promote his religion. He said himself that he will not use guns or bombs or aircraft or weapons of any sort but the women's wombs. It is not a secret invasion, he has been expicit and honest.
It is up to us to decide whether this acceptable to us or not. And if not act accordingly.