The Nationalist Party said today it strongly condemned a statement issued by the Labour Party on illegal immigration, saying the party had destroyed national consensus on this issue and put partisan interests before the national interest.

"Through its decision to destroy the national consensus on immigration, the Labour Party under Joseph Muscat has reduced politics to the lowest level. Consensus on such a sensitive issue had even been maintained under Alfred Sant , but Joseph Muscat's earthquake has managed to destroy it," the PN said.

The PN claimed that the PL leader, through an 'irresponsible position' was serving the interests of the Italian government, which had an interest in taking over Malta's search and rescue area and the Flight Information Region.

It said the PL had a dismal record on illegal immigration. As an MEP, Dr Muscat never took any initiative on immigration, but then in Malta he threatened use of the veto in the EU institutions.

The Labour MEPs had also voted in a contradictory fashion on the granting of the right to vote to migrants. In June 2005, one of the Labour MEPs voted in favour, in July 2006 the three MEPs, including Dr Muscat, abstained, and in September last year, they did not vote despite being present. In April, as the election approached, they voted against.

The Labour MEPs had also abstained during votes on detention policy and the repatriation of migrants and they had voted against keeping immigration a priority of the EU.

This contrasted with the actions of the Nationalist MEPs, who had helped shape the European Parliament's policy on immigration, helped increase the Frontex budget and achieved the Parliament's backing for amendments to the Dublin regulation and mandatory burden-sharing.

The PN insisted it would always seek the national interest in its policies on immigration.

See PL statement at:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090505/local/government-decision-on-migration-too-little-too-late-pl