EU anti-immigration patrols by Frontex off the coast of Malta will next year be extended by three months, despite being considered ineffective in the present format without Libya's cooperation.

Frontex sources yesterday told The Times that the next Nautilus mission, the operational nickname of the anti-migration patrols on the central Mediterranean route, will start again in March and carry on uninterruptedly until November.

According to Frontex, there is absolutely no need for patrols in the remaining three months of the year, since "no illegal immigrants tend to cross the Libya-Malta-Sicily strait due to bad climatic conditions".

The sources said Frontex was in negotiations with member states to ensure they contributed effectively to the next mission. Other countries have generally shied away from contributing towards the mission, leaving Italy and Malta practically on their own.

"We are absolutely not satisfied with the response of many EU member states in these missions so far. They need to practise solidarity by dedicating assets, such as ships and planes towards the Nautilus mission," the sources said.

The same criticism came from Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil during a debate on Frontex by the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee.

Dr Busuttil, EPP-ED spokesman on Frontex, admitted that the Frontex-led missions around Malta were still not effective and called on other member states to demonstrate that they believed in these missions.

Libya was also mentioned in the debate, as it was considered to be the major stumbling block to the success of these missions.

Libya has failed to cooperate with Frontex for the last four years, and consequently hundreds of illegal immigrants departing from Libyan shores towards Europe, in an unofficially organised system, could not be returned even when intercepted by Frontex patrols.

Frontex sources said although the EU was once again trying to engage Libya in next year's patrol mission, the discussions were being described as "very challenging".

Ironically, despite longer surveillance by Frontex this year, Malta experienced the highest number of illegal immigrants landing on its shores.

According to Frontex statistics, during the five-month duration of Nautilus III, a total of 2,321 illegal immigrants landed in Malta or were brought ashore.