Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
EU piles pressure on Africa to address migration
Immigrants who ended up in Malta while crossing from Libya to Europe.
The EU is putting the onus on African countries to shoulder their responsibilities on migration issues, particularly in honouring readmission obligations.
This statement was made during the second Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development, hosted by the French EU Presidency in Paris.
The EU's Commissioner for Justice, Jacques Barrot told the 40 African countries taking part that although the EU and Africa had made significant progress on migration there had to be more focus on practical action.
"This is the only way forward if we want to be credible. Both the EU and Africa should honour their commitments," he said, diplomatically referring to African countries' need to collaborate more to lessen the influx of illegal immigrants crossing over from African shores to reach the EU every year.
The message was further stressed by the EU Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner.
"I am convinced of the significance of an approach of shared responsibility between the countries of origin, transit and destination and the need to engage in a strong and balanced dialogue on the entirety of the relevant questions on the management of the migratory flux," she said.
"The North African neighbourhood countries are interested in visa facilitation and the prospects for temporary legal migration but the EU has expectations in the field of readmission and international protection."
Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants enter the EU every year, the majority from Africa, seeking new opportunities to better their economic situation.
Although in the past years the EU has been instrumental in drawing up a number of agreements with African countries tying economic aid with readmission agreements, it was a known fact that these were not being respected by the majority of African states.
Malta has in the past years been insisting on the need to enforce these agreements but little progress had been achieved so far.
Nearly all the illegal immigrants reaching Malta were Sub-Saharan Africans, crossing over to Libya to make their final crossing towards the European continent.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Bundy does not know whether to...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
Petrol price up 6c
In Discussion
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Gozo tunnel could take 5-7 years to...
CABS remote controlled aircraft shot...
Joseph Calleja condemns portrayal of...
Updated: Labour would give...
CABS drone shot down
Second group of migrants arrives
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Adrian Vassallo in scathing...
9 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Mary Borg
Dec 2nd 2008, 11:51
@lgalea and d borg.
I didn't say that this isn't your country anymore or that you shall leave. What I meant is that the sooner you accept the new REALITY, the less you'll suffer. The REALITY is that now this isn't ONLY your country. Now it's also the African immigrant's country. So you now have two options available: you can stay here and share 'your' country with them or -if you really can't stand living with them- you have the option to emigrate to another country where there isn't any Africans like Austira for instance. If you think there is another realistic 3rd option, I would like to hear it.
d. borg
Dec 2nd 2008, 08:55
@Mary Borg
Are you suggesting the Maltese move out of their homeland to make way for the immigrants? Very patriotic I must say!!
Mary Borg
Dec 1st 2008, 19:09
What is all this fuss about not wanting to live with the Africans? If you don't want to share your country with these migrants you are free to find a new homeland just like these immigrants are doing.
lgalea
Dec 1st 2008, 16:57
louise vella
Spot on Louise.
They should not even have been allowed to leave the detention centres at all.
louise vella
Dec 1st 2008, 15:23
It's all very well to blame the Africans. But what is our government doing about it?
In such a small country as Malta, it would be easy for Mifsud Bonnici to launch an all-out campaign (with the support of the people) to round up all illegal immigrants who have no right to be in Malta. They would be put in a safe place until such time as they can be repatriated in groups. Whatever the cost, it will be less than the cost of keeping them in Malta, especially as the economic recession starts hitting us and unemployment rises.
Eric Soames
Dec 1st 2008, 14:49
Stand firm and don't let any more in. It should be as simple as that. Mexico too is turning back Cuban illegals even though they know that the US is their desired final destination.
Alexander Morana
Dec 1st 2008, 14:15
Great move now at long last the EU is talking sense. Yes persuade those countries where most these illegal immigrants come from to return to their country of origin. An agreement has to be put in place between these countries and the EU where any assistance in financial aid which goes to these African countries should be tied to the re-admission of their nationals, coupled with some training and skills of their nationals, so they can re-integrate back into their societies.
Michelle Dali
Dec 1st 2008, 12:31
One hopes that the EU will continue to put pressure on African countries to allow readmission of their own nationals. This will surely be to Africa's advantage in the long run - these countries need their citizens to stay and work hard to improve their economic conditions instead of fleeing to Europe to become a burden on other countries.
The burden of illegal immigration which Malta is being forced to bear is untenable, totally out of proportion to its size and will undoubtedly be detrimental to an already overpopulated country. A system of forced repatriation for those not entitled to refugee status will result in deterring others from paying criminal human traffickers to get them on a boat to enter Europe illegally.
lgalea
Dec 1st 2008, 11:42
The only way the African countries will understand is when the eu stops accepting any illegal immigrants and repatriate them, either by air or by ships and lands them on the countries coasts, with armed escorts if necessary.
As long as one single illegal immigrant is accepted, the flood gates will remain open.