Updated: Government, MLP argue on Immigration Pact

The government said this evening that a Labour Party statement which criticised the EU Immigration Pact showed how it had not understood the crucial importance of this pact for Malta. Nor did it know how the EU functioned.

The MLP in its statement accused the government of having ‘capitulated’ since the burden-sharing mechanism, which the pact proposed, was voluntary and not obligatory on member states.

The government said that this was the first time that a burden-sharing mechanism was being mentioned in EU documents.

This was a voluntary mechanism because it was being introduced among free countries within the EU. It was a process of relocation which had become part of the agenda of the EU and was backed by 27 member states who recognised the need for it.

The government insisted that this mechanism would be applied to most of the immigrants who arrived in Malta since the number of those being granted international protection was increasing. This year, in excess of 60 percent of migrants were expected to be granted protection

Furthermore, those migrants who did not deserve protection would be repatriated to their country of original through funds and assistance provided by the EU.

The government said the timeframes for the burden-sharing mechanism would be set once the Immigration Pact was given the final seal of approval by the European Council.

“This government did not surrender anything, but it managed to change the scenario on which the Immigration Pact is based. It managed to include in the text as part of the European agenda, the creation of a programme through which Member States would able to take from Malta persons who enjoy protection status.”

This, the government said, was a historic agreement, the importance of which would not be diminished by the MLP.

The government also pointed out that the Immigration Pact says the following on burden-sharing:

"For those Member States which are faced with specific and disproportionate pressures on their national asylum systems, due in particular to their geographical or demographic situation, solidarity shall also aim to promote, on a voluntary and coordinated basis, better reallocation of beneficiaries of international protection from such Member States to others, while ensuring that asylum systems are not abused. In accordance with those principles, the Commission, in consultation with the UNHCR where appropriate, will facilitate such voluntary and coordinated reallocation. Specific funding under existing EU financial instruments should be provided for this reallocation, in accordance with budgetary procedure."

The Labour Party in its statement said the Immigration Pact was only a very small step forward, and this was not enough for Malta. It also contrasted sharply with government promises to stand firm in the talks.

The MLP said it was dissatisfied by the Pact because:

The burden-sharing mechanism was voluntary and not binding on member states to participate;

The mechanism would apply only for recognised refugees – when most of the migrants who arrived in Malta were not refugees;

There were no timeframes for the new mechanism to come into force and no resources had been allocated to it.

The party said that in such a national crisis, the government could have achieved better results, especially when it knew it was backed by the MLP.

It said Dr Gonzi should reconsider his position on the Pact.

The Nationalist Party in a statement welcomed the Immigration Pact, saying that countries on the periphery of the EU would no longer have to cope with the immigration problem on their own.

It said a firm stand taken by the government had ensured the introduction in the Pact of a burden-sharing mechanism, a first in the EU.

It also referred to the MLP statement and urged the party not to try to fan racist sentiments and not to play with the people’s feelings. It also observed that the MLP had not made a single concrete proposal on how Malta should tackle illegal immigration.