Maroni-Mifsud Bonnici meeting: Italy, Malta hold their ground but agree to work together

A long meeting between Italy and Malta following a quarrel on who should take responsibility for migrants rescued at sea ended without a breakthrough tonight, although two countries agreed to work together on other aspects of the issue of illegal migration.

The meeting was held in Brussels between Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici and his Italian counterpart Roberto Maroni. EU Justice and Home Affairs Minister Jacques Barrot also took part.

“Both sides have maintained their positions,” a spokesman for the Home Affairs Ministry said after the two-hour meeting, adding, however, that the ministers sought to clarify responsibilities and agreed to work together on different aspects of the problem.

The meeting was held exactly a week after a Turkish-owned freighter rescued 140 migrants some 42 nautical miles off Lampedusa, sparking a rare dispute between the two countries.

Italy had argued that since the migrants were picked up in the search and rescue zone administered by Malta, they should have been conveyed to Malta.

Malta on the other hand, insisted that in terms of international law, they should have been taken to the nearest safe port, which was Lampedusa.

Italy eventually relented on Sunday evening and the migrants landed at Agrigento on Monday.

The spokesman said the ministers agreed that Libya needed to be more closely involved in European efforts to tackle illegal immigration, and that Frontex, the EU border agency, should be responsible for the repatriation of migrants who were not eligible for humanitarian protection.

They also agreed to jointly make a proposal to the European Commission calling for compulsory burden sharing between the EU member states, and that development aid to African countries should be increased so as to reduce pressure for migration.