Editorial

The European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, Jacques Barrot, followed in the footsteps of his predecessor, Franco Frattini, in faithfully promising action by the EU to alleviate Malta's pressing problems on immigration. But he also went far beyond what his predecessor had done in calling upon Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici to improve conditions for immigrants in detention, pledging more financial aid for Malta in this area.

Mr Barrot made four points in the course of his visit.

First, he spoke about his hopes that the EU burden-sharing deal agreed by member states last October would be in place next year.

Second, during a meeting with the House Foreign and European Affairs Committee, he pledged to involve the EU in more negotiations with the countries from where immigrants depart.

Third, though less specific, he said he would take action to ensure immigration was higher on the agenda in EU negotiations with Libya.

And, fourth, he made it plain that conditions in the closed centres needed improvement.

Taking this last point, The Times has consistently urged the government to ensure that while immigrants are in detention - a policy it fully supports - it is essential that the conditions under which they are kept should be up to standard. After seven years of dealing with the problem of immigration it should be expected that the government's ability to manage the basic administration of detainees by providing adequate, clean, secure, uncrowded accommodation is achieved. Any policy of seeking to deter newcomers arriving on Malta's shores by deliberately providing poor living conditions would be unworthy of any government. Indeed, one would not like to think that the poor state of the centres is intentional.

The main burden of attack on what Mr Barrot said should perhaps be directed at the glacial pace at which the Justice Commission he heads is moving on the implementation of the Asylum and Immigration Pact signed five months ago. Mr Barrot said that the Asylum and Support Office, which will shortly be established (in Malta?), would, hopefully, put in place a resettlement programme "by the end of this year and a pilot project in 2010".

This is simply not good enough. On a matter of such political, social and economic urgency, not just for Malta, five months after the decision by the EU leaders, one would rightly have expected this area of justice, freedom and security, for which Mr Barrot is directly responsible, to have delivered considerably more progress. The omens for action - as exemplified by the experience of the Frontex agency three years ago - are not good.

The pressure on the EU to deliver results must be sustained relentlessly at the diplomatic level. While Mr Barrot took note of what the Foreign Affairs Committee said about tying development aid to cooperation by countries of origin on repatriation and putting pressure on Libya, these are not areas of his direct responsibility and his influence can only be marginal. He can only act as a post-box to the Commissioner for Foreign Relations. Unless this country exercises its, albeit limited, diplomatic clout more effectively and energetically - both in the EU and with the United Nations - Malta is not likely to be able to overcome the immigration problems it is faced with. To do this there has to be action on various fronts, notably in the areas of foreign affairs, home affairs and justice.