EU in another bid to engage Libya
Brussels is making a fresh attempt to engage Libya in the fight against illegal immigration following the recent bilateral agreement between Italy and Libya to establish joint anti-migration patrols in Libyan waters.
The accord between Rome and Tripoli is being seen as "a stepping stone" towards more cooperation between Libya and the EU to confront illegal migration, sources close to the Commission yesterday told The Times.
It is estimated that almost all the illegal immigrants reaching Malta and the Italian island of Lampedusa leave from Libyan ports. However, the boats are not filled with Libyans but with sub-Saharan Africans reaching Libya through its un-policed southern borders.
There has been no official word yet on whether the Italy-Libya patrols have actually got under way, although they were due to start last week.
"The agreement with Italy has set the ball rolling and we think now is the time to engage Libya in our work against illegal immigration," an EU official said.
"Frontex (the EU's border control agency) is already conducting talks with the Libyan authorities to see whether they will accept to join our patrols in the central Mediterranean route this year. We have always maintained Libya's participation in these patrols is crucial," he added.
This year Frontex is planning to hold "longer and larger" patrols off the coast of Malta to try and control illegal migration and save lives. Although it is not yet known which EU member states will be deploying their assets, or when the patrols will start, it is understood these will not begin before the end of March.
Since Frontex missions kicked off in the Mediterranean in 2006, Libya has always turned down invitations from the EU's border control agency to take part and cooperate with its forces.
Libya has also refused to give Frontex permission to conduct surveillance close to its shoreline. On various occasions, Frontex has also had to intervene to cover Libya's search and rescue area when migrants found themselves in difficulty - their distress calls were not answered by the Libyan authorities.
Following the agreement with Libya, the EU did not waste any time before sending the Libyan authorities a sign of its goodwill. Last week, during a visit to Tripoli, the EU's External Affairs Commissioner Benita Ferrero Waldner announced the granting of €20 million to Libya to support the fight against illegal immigration and strengthening of border controls.
According to EU sources, Ms Ferrero Waldner made a forceful claim with Libyan authorities that they needed to try to stem migration from their shores, as this will not help the development of ongoing discussions between the two sides.
Talks include the establishment of a cooperation agreement covering various areas of trade, energy, transport and fisheries.
"Although discussions on this agreement are progressing slowly, they are progressing," the sources said.
"This is why we need signals from Tripoli that they are really fighting illegal migration. This will surely encourage the 27 member states to give the green light to an eventual EU-Libya cooperation agreement."
Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
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Muscat.Pat
Feb 18th 2009, 08:54
How can FRONTEX which is based in POLAND supposed to work efficiently tackling illegal immigration in the Mediterraean? Perhaps some GEOPOLITICAL guru can explain this logistic contradiction! The problem is not the Libyans, who close both eyes like we do, although it is their responsibility to tackle organized human trafficing, but the Northern Europeans, who together with the very corrupt leaders of Africa exploit Africa in such a way that makes it impossible for any African to make a humane living. Even the so called NGO's who are helping the professional African to emmigrate to Europe are making things worse in Africa. Why is it that British and French government accept doctors and nurses, teachers engieers, to immigrate to these countries, when there is such a dire need of these people in Africa? Why do big business , banks and governments allow African governments to go astray, and become horribly corrupt and murderers? Why are arms exported to African spots of trouble? The solution for tackling illegal immigration is not blaming Libya, which is also at the receiving end like us. NGO's help their conscience but not the people in Africa; there is where they should go to help!
R Chetcuti
Feb 18th 2009, 08:48
Trivia:
What do Maltese get for bringing over (maybe saving) illegal immigrants from the Med. Sea?
Ghettos, loss of work for honest working Maltese etc...
What do Libya get for not answering to distress calls?
€20 million
Maybe we should use Libya's strategy in getting EU funds!!
L..Galea
Feb 17th 2009, 22:18
M. Mercieca
Immigration is like adoption.
YOU choose those who you want to adopt, not the other way round.
The same goes for immigration.
YOU choose those whom you want to receive into your country, not those imposed by others.
Guze Xerri
Feb 17th 2009, 20:14
@ M. Mercieca,
"Libyan authorities are fully aware of the population deficit in ageing Europe! "
yes , you can always count on Libya to help Europe out, especially on this issue, LOL.
you must be living in your own little fantasy world man.
go tell it to the jesuits.
Michael Neville Cassar
Feb 17th 2009, 19:45
Return to Sender Stop bringing them in from 50,70,80, Nautical miles.
Paul Caruana
Feb 17th 2009, 19:40
Finally! The powers that be have finally come to their senses, and have started to turn up the heat on Libya.
There is hope for our little rock after all......
Lawrence Martinelli
Feb 17th 2009, 18:29
Call me an old ignorant ex-merchant seaman living in "Cukoo-land" .
Malta has to go back to "old roots"......English-speaking Nations....they understand
Malta and Malta understand them.
Look at Malta's position ( past & present ) .....3 small islands " easy pickings" to
defend itself from "all" quarters.
Someone "scandalized" will holler....." taht " like in the colonial past.....
"karawett" to them.....ALL English speaking Nations are much more independent
from yet each other than the EU. pretends to be.....yet.....ready to defend each other
more so than the EU. hollers to do.
Crazy old man ?.....All right .....let " Dwarf Elephant F.C." keep playing by itself in the
EU. Premier League !
Sandro Pace
Feb 17th 2009, 16:04
@ Mr. M. Mercieca
In what way an EU peace mission in Darfur, perhaps preventing more massacres of the Christian population by the Islamic Janjaweed, can be seen to be interfering in Libya instability? Does it mean that Libya needs massacres on its boarder to be stable? Is this EU peace force threatening Libya?
Your equation is skewed, as is your big picture.
Whether the explosive local situation will be all hot air, will be a matter between maltese people and maltese government.
Denis Catania
Feb 17th 2009, 15:57
Does the EU know the word Sanctions?? Ask the U.S ?? They will tell how it worked??
louise vella
Feb 17th 2009, 15:08
The problem with FRONTEX is that it started on the wrong foot. The coasts of southern Europe, including Malta, are the target of a soft (that is, unarmed) invasion by Africans wanting ultimately to reach northern European countries. Among the favourites are Italy, Britain and France for those coming from their former colonies; Germany because it's big and rich; Scandinavian countries because of their reputation for being welcoming and heaven on earth …
A soft invasion can only be stopped by a soft army, that is, a coastguard which is unarmed but robust enough to deter and turn back incoming sea-craft. Instead of acting as a coastguard FRONTEX has been acting as a taxi service ferrying the unwanted immigrants to Malta and Lampedusa.
Louis Gialanze
Feb 17th 2009, 15:03
External affairs commissioner Benita Ferrero Waldner is also aware that a major trading block as the EU has other options at its disposal - if only the EU isn't as dependent on one type of commodity - black gold. It's all wishful thinking! Brace yourselves for more the coming 'tourist' season.
robert cutajar
Feb 17th 2009, 14:14
So libya is unable to patrol its Southern borders. Does that mean that Libya is open to invasion from its Southern neighbours?! Frontex is not solving our problem but exacerbating it by bringing any boat it encounters to Malta instead of taking it back to Libya.
Libya has refused assistance to boats in distress in its own search and rescue(sic) area. Did libya get as much as a slap on the wrist for this? We all know the answer.
Libya is being granted euro20 million to coax it into some form of action. Don't anyone hold his breath. Libya will never acceed to cooperate as it is in libya's interest to flood europe with migrants as part of its plan to distabilize the continent. Gaddafi is after revenge.
L..Galea
Feb 17th 2009, 13:58
Carmel Borg
You are perfectly correct.
John Borg
The problem IS the eu. The eu forced EFApn to remove the reservations that the Maltese government had made to the Refugee Convention whet it had ratified it that, among other things, Malta will only accept refugees from European countries.
The eu forced EFApn to do so because the eu petty dictators knew that we will be on their southern frontier and will be lumping the african illegal immigrants instead of them and its stupid Dublin II convention does not allow us to let the illegal immigrants continue on their way to mainland europe.
So you see John Borg, it IS the eu's fault that we are being lumped with the illegal immigrants.
Joanne Micallef
Feb 17th 2009, 13:56
The Goverment could have easily obtained alot from the EU if only he used the ratification of the Lisbon treaty as leverage. Therefore although becoming an EU member was definitely the reason behind such an increase in the influx of illegal immigrants to our shores, in the end the blame lies with our Goverment who is failing our Nation BIG TIME.
Sandro Pace
Feb 17th 2009, 13:42
It is feigned and self-imposed distress, and abuse of obligations. There is a legitimate limit to our obligations.
Libya breaks international laws in this sense, and gets away with it ok. Our politicians, and the EU are making Malta pay instead, sometimes bullying and obliging us to go for them inside Libyan SAR.
There are no legal solutions to this problem. They are not going to change international laws for malta. Only political ones. What holds for libya should hold for malta, eventually. Otherwise, they would be failing us.
Malta should also unilaterally withdraw from the Dublin II mechanism. Immigrants from here can than leave easily to the mainland, leaving no trace. But we want to obey everything to the letter.
M. Mercieca
Feb 17th 2009, 13:36
Let us be realistic and think of the bigger picture please.
Why should Libya act as safety-valve for the EU? This is how Libya evaluate the whole situation.
Malta should act as a safety valve for the rest of the EU. This is probably how both the EU and Libya weigh up the situation. Sounds unfair as it’s but unfortunately this how things works as Libyan authorities are fully aware of the population deficit in ageing Europe!
Libyan government also understands that Immigrants is a hot issue in Europe that could badly effects all EU government and create instability. On the other hand, isn’t the EU creating instability on Libyan borders by interfering in Sudan (Darfurr)? This is politics isn't it?
If one thinks about this equation one would easily understand that, both the government and opposition are doing the best out of this thorny issue. If any body or any political party believe they could easy-fix and curb the problem once in power, it’s just a hot-air!
John Borg
Feb 17th 2009, 13:07
The problem is not the EU per se. But the way in which our government has acted and now reacting to this problem. Bare in mind that many other EU countries typically are invaded by immigrants from countries such as Romania and the like, so they are not new to this situation, and will obviously be reluctant to burden share these immigrants coming from countries outside Europe. It was the duty of our Government to ascertain that the rules are changed and that we will only cater for a limited number of such immigrants, with the rest left to go wherever they wanted without any intervention from the AFM. In absence of this however Government now needs to find another solution and should be very fast at that.
Carmel Borg
Feb 17th 2009, 12:30
This is what we get from having joined the EU. These illegal immigrants are taking our jobs, housing and our hospital. They have invaded our streets and very soon, it will be difficult to control them. This will surely affect our tourism. And all we hear is just talk and talk. If the EU knows that these illegal immigrants are leaving from Libyan ports, why not send them back? We do not want them here in Malta. Can a referendum be held about this issue?
Adrian Gouder
Feb 17th 2009, 12:09
Sadly, again and again, the root of the problem is not tackled, that is, their respective givernments.
In any case, Libya will not honour agreements, not about illegal immigrants (quite the opposite - it hopes to flood the EU with these people), or about Oil (yes they will containue to waste time as if they are interested).
John Sammut
Feb 17th 2009, 10:49
This year Frontex is planning to hold ''longer and Larger'' off the coast of Malta!!! DOES ANYBODY KNOWS WHAT THIS MEAN?? YES MORE MIGRANTS
Chris Mifsud
Feb 17th 2009, 10:24
Although saving lives is important , it is not saving lives that we are interested in .
It is keeping illegal immigrants out of Malta .
Stop illegal immigrants at the source ... Libya and not near Malta .
L..Galea
Feb 17th 2009, 10:13
The maximum international territorial sea limits are 12 miles.
So there is no reason whatsoever for Affrontex and other patrol vessels including warships to patrol just outside the 12-mile limit and force any illegal immigrats boat to turn back.