AD says Malta should sign Immigration Pact

Alternattiva Demokratika said today that while it viewed the new EU Immigration Pact as not being enough for Malta, it disagreed with those political forces that are insisting that Malta should not sign the pact.

MLP leader Joseph Muscat has led calls for the pact not to be signed. Justice and Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici in an interview with timesofmalta.com this morning gave a detailed explanation of the benefits of the pact for Malta.

Stephen Cachia, Alternattiva Demokratika spokesman on democracy and civil rights said: "We at Alternattiva Demokratika had urged the Maltese government to veto any text if it did not make a specific reference to responsibility sharing and to the restrictive effects of the Dublin regulations.

"However, as a result of the agreement reached Malta has attained both the mention of responsibility sharing as well as the possibility to relocate immigrants with asylum status and special protection to other EU countries".

Arnold Cassola, Alternattiva Demokratika leader, added: "This is therefore a first step in the right direction, even though it is not enough because it is on a voluntary basis on the part of the other EU states. AD considers that it should be on a permanent and compulsory basis.

"Having said this, this is the first time that the principle of responsibility sharing and of relocation, albeit on a voluntary basis, is now part of the EU policy. It would be sheer folly for the Maltese government not to sign the agreed compromise text, which is certainly an improvement on the previous existing situation". "Malta must continue in its political work to develop this first result into a compulsory one", concluded Prof. Cassola.

See also:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20081001/local/immigration-pact-of-great-benefit-for-malta-minister