Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
Financial crisis to overshadow migration pact at EU summit
EU leaders are tomorrow expected to approve a new migration pact at their two-day summit in Brussels expected to be dominated by talks on the financial crisis that has swept the globe.
The pact will pave the way for new rules on to how the EU will tackle the controversial issues of migration and asylum. It was negotiated over the past few months and, on Malta’s insistence, will include a clause that provides for the reallocation of refugees to other EU states who volunteer to accept them.
Important as the pact is, particularly to member states on the EU periphery such as Malta, Italy, Greece and Spain, the summit will focus on the financial crisis and the need for continued concerted action by all the member states to pull Europe out of the danger zone.
"Unfortunately, the discussion on the migration pact, one of the original main goals of the French Presidency, will only be discussed by EU leaders briefly as we need to concentrate on the financial crisis," a senior French diplomat said yesterday.
"The pact has already been discussed and agreed to by EU Justice Ministers a few weeks ago and, thus, the talks by EU leaders should not take long. There are no outstanding issues and it seems the leaders will endorse the new pact."
Under the pact, the 27 EU member states will make a political commitment to share the burden with countries "faced with specific and disproportionate pressures on their national asylum system".
The European Commission will have to launch a new voluntary intra-EU resettlement mechanism to be used if the need arises.
Speaking during a pre-summit press conference yesterday, Commission President José Manuel Barroso focused on the financial situation. Once the credit crisis subsides, Europe must rethink financial regulation and supervisory rules, including for hedge funds and private equity, he said.
"There is light at the end of the tunnel but we are not there yet," he added, after impressive rallies were posted on European stock markets over the last two days following last week’s crash.
"Once we have put financial markets back on their feet, we must ensure that, in the future, they function properly for the benefit of citizens and businesses rather than themselves.
"We must rethink regulatory and supervision rules for financial markets including banks, hedge funds and private equity."
The EU leaders will also discuss the future of the Lisbon Treaty, which is still in abeyance following its rejection by the Irish, and a set of new rules on climate change and energy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions all over the EU and producing cleaner energy by 2020.
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victor vella
Oct 16th 2008, 07:34
So 100 is the maximum number of refugees that Malta should have, I believe that 100 refugees in Malta would be a very comfortable 100 people as the Maltese are a generous nation. What is the commission for refugees doing to get them settled elsewhere, what about the illegal ones? will these be lost in their current status for ever? Yes Mr Roberts it is true that they have their eyes set on UK, and Ireland in particular I was talking to one of them on Sunday , I know him from a previous job and we met, he is trying to make his way to the UK like others did already, do we have a rol call system of them do we know how many are still actually here?
Michelle Dali
Oct 15th 2008, 20:56
M Muscat you are right in what you say. It would seem harsh to give the next boatload of illegal immigrants that are found floating in Malta's SAR area food, water and fuel and turn them back, but it has been done before by other countries, and it is the only way to deter people from engaging in this activity. Fontex must adopt a policy to turn them back time and time again. This is the only way to beat the human traffickers. Word would soon get round that it is futile to pay these criminals to get you to Europe illegally, especially since they all seem to have at least one satellite phone on each boat. The AFM should take a spare dinghy if necessary since it has been reported that they often purposely damage their own. They would be turned back to Libya and Libya is not a war torn country so they would not be in any danger.
No matter how charitable we are, we cannot possibly accomodate all of Africa. Do we wait until Malta is swamped and lost to us as a nation, or do we act now BEFORE it is too late?
P Debono
Oct 15th 2008, 20:22
Great... So the EU conveniently ignores us ONCE AGAIN.
How long is it going to take for this lame duck government to understand that we're alone in this crisis?
Anthony Roberts
Oct 15th 2008, 17:11
I was approached by a 20 year old lad from Somalia a couple of days ago asking me if I would take him to England the next time I went. He was approaching anyone he thought was English. He is not the first one asking me how he can get to the UK so it is obvious that they do not want to stay here. I think he was going to try and get himself lodged in my house when he tried to find out where I lived. Obviously I didn't let on but it was worrying that they will do whatever it takes to leave the Island. I think that those who wish to leave should be assisted and helped by the Government to do so.
Christopher Briffa
Oct 15th 2008, 15:42
Judging by the comments made during the PBS programme Disset last night, by none other then Professor Henry Frendo, a gentleman that I respect. I have confirmed my worries that the policy makers and the people that matter on this little island are in a state of panic, vis a vis the flow of illegals into Malta. About time too, it was also confirmed that the authorities are still unprepared and have underestimated this huge problem. How right were some people that had predicted all this. I like many others hope that the authorities use the same resilience shown in shutting these people up and accuse them in court to solve and REPATRIATE all illegal immigrants in Malta be they black, pink, grey or even red. On the other hand I am sure that as usual our politicians will do nothing and judging by the poor show that the minister concerned gave on Bondiplus on Monday, I am even more worried. If the government thinks that anyone in the EU is going to solve our problem it is grossly mistaken, this so called pact just proves my point, especially after watching the italian ambassador last night.
l Galea
Oct 15th 2008, 15:38
David Seychell
This shows the sheer arrogance of the eu petty dictators who do not take a no for a no whenit comes from the people.
Alexander Morana
Oct 15th 2008, 15:06
And the EU circus continues......and our politicians dance to the decrypt and nauseating jingle.
m.muscat
Oct 15th 2008, 14:32
(cont'd)
Guaranteed we will not see a third boat - it would be too expensive and dangerous to risk for nothing. Perhaps we will receive a flack from Europe but in the end reasoning would prevail and it would pass. Anyway, it would be worth the sacrifice. After all we already have more than our fill and more will definitely cause indigestion. Part two, start early repatriation of those who are illegaly here, be they white, red or black.
No more playing with our livelihood, tourism, health, education, religion, taxes and above all security.
DO IT NOW, TO DAY - TOMORROW IS LATE
m.muscat
Oct 15th 2008, 14:22
(continued)Comparisons with Lampedusa do not make sense as after 3 days all immigrants are scattered all over Italy. In Malta, they have to stay here as there is nowhere to go.
We also have a Minister trying to convince us "in the most unconvincing of manners" that we must wait and see the outcome of the Pact - probably similar to the outcome of Frontex.
Now listen, pact or no pact this is a never ending story and only hard action can mitigate the damage done. Turn back the first two arriving boatloads of these immigrants. Give them food and water, and off they go to where they came from. (cont,d)
David Seychell
Oct 15th 2008, 14:01
"The EU leaders will also discuss the future of the Lisbon Treaty"
Future of Lisbon Treaty? Hello!!? Ireland voted NO!!
m. muscat
Oct 15th 2008, 12:14
Silence has been broken. We are now being faced with some media programmes revealing shocking statements by high up persons, which statements clearly show how unprepared we were for this phenomenon. At long last they have realized we have a gigantic problem and panic is evident.
Mgr.Calleja states that Malta should accomodate not more than 100 when he and especially the Jesuits community have been having a different view just a couple of weeks ago.
We now have Prof.Frendo - a very learned and respected person- giving a confusing interpretation in Dissett telling us that we may have thousands of these immigrants roaming our streets, nameless, jobless, of unknown nationality, having no fixed address, scantily educated and what not. He clearly said this number is bound to increase from day to day.
We have the Italian Ambassador in the same programme saying that the Pact "could be no pact at all as it is voluntary" and besides, he added the process of burden sharing would have to take into consideration those immigrants who cross land borders. Little did the Ambassador realize that Malta is a small island, already densely populated and could not be compared with big nations(continued)
l Galea
Oct 15th 2008, 12:01
Extracts from http://euobserver.com/9/26924
"The pact states that the 27-nation bloc "does not have the resources to decently receive all the migrants hoping to find a better life" within its territory....
Those states that face the biggest pressure on their asylum systems due to geographical position should be offered solidarity through "better re-allocation" of refugees. This solidarity will be on a voluntary basis, however."
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