Updated: EP approves legally binding burden sharing, changes to Dublin
(Adds PL statement)
A set of amendments dealing with asylum, including changes to the Dublin regulation and the setting up of a legally binding burden-sharing mechanism enabling the reallocation of immigrants among EU countries have been adopted by the European Parliament. (The amendments still have to be approved by national governments)
Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil said the changes to the Dublin regulation, by far the most important for Malta, were approved with 398 votes in favour, 56 votes against and 65 abstentions.
Welcoming the vote, he said that the European Parliament had delivered what Malta wanted.
“The European Parliament has delivered. Five years ago no one here knew anything about Malta’s plight on immigration. Today the European Parliament is fully behind us. This is not a coincidence. It is the result of hard work.” he said.
The Dublin regulation is controversial in Malta because it placd the responsibility for immigrants squarely on the EU country in which they first enter. This meant that migrants first arriving in Malta become Malta’s responsibility and if they moved and were apprehended in other EU countries, they were transferred back to Malta.
Malta had long called for a change in these rules and changes to the Dublin regulation were formally proposed by the European Commission last December.
The Commission proposed to suspend the Dublin rules on EU countries, such as Malta, which faced a disproportionate burden as a result of their geographic and demographic situation.
In its vote today, the European Parliament adopted this proposal.
Dr Busuttil said that apart from agreeing to suspend Dublin rules, the EP also resolved that it was essential to propose legally binding instruments to ensure greater solidarity between member states through the resettlement of the beneficiaries of international protection in other member states.
He said today’s vote was very important because the EP shared co-decision powers with Council on this law and therefore its consent was required and its views could not be ignored by the Council.
“I know that what we have adopted today is resisted by some countries in Council. But it is time for them to realise that they can no longer expect just a couple of countries to shoulder a responsibility that belongs to all. They can no longer express shock when boatfuls of immigrants drift at sea but then turn a blind eye when it comes to hosting the immigrants who are saved. The time for hypocrisy is over. I am very satisfied with this vote because it is the result of years of hard work. We have been there for Malta and we have delivered," he said.
In a statement, the PL said welcomed the vote in the EP saying that it had been for obbligatory burden sharing since the very beginning. The vote proved how right Labour leader Joseph Muscat had been when he called on the Maltese government not to sign the Immigration Pact last October. This had not bound any country to take immigrants off Malta.
The PL said that the Immigration Agency proposal had originally come from a Labour MEP. The proposal was voted against by around 22 MEPs - nearly half those who voted against, were from the EPP, of which the PN MEPs were members. All the Socialists voted in favour of the agency.
Three years ago the proposal had not been approved by the EP because members of the EPP had voted against. Dr Busuttil and the other Nationalist MEP David Casa had, at the time, not voted in favour of Labour's proposal.
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guido farrugia
May 8th 2009, 20:42
PN MEP,S consistent throughout Mr. Camilleri tells us. I suggest you read carefully the last paragraph of the above. This is not a matter of knowing how to press a button, this is a matter of real consistency on the same vote of three years ago. Go ahead and vote for the PN MEP,S because they need it. To make it even more obvious i will vote for Louis Grech, and assuming history repeats itself..... remember
Joseph Camilleri
May 8th 2009, 17:16
@Guido Farrugia: 'a vote for PL MEPs is becoming more obvious' Just make sure you vote for those who press the right button though... In my case I'll be voting for the PN MEPs because they have been consistent throughout.. and they also know how to press the right button.
Guido Farrugia
May 8th 2009, 13:16
Bla, bla bla.
All of us Maltese should feel oblidged to Mep, Mr. Louis Grech for the achievment, dateing back to 2006. That,s when and where this burden-sharing proposal was put forward with the assistance of PSE group These are real heavyweights, not those proposing voluntary burden-sharing and are now trying to get the credit. A vote for PL MEP'S is becoming more obvious.
laurence schembri
May 8th 2009, 07:10
@ Charles Ebejer et all
Before you put your little fingers on the keys figure out that what is really happening in Europe affect all of us. Stop the lies and think Malta before your Party. The said amendment was a proposition put forward by LP MEP`s some three years ago, and you lot actually believe that they are going to vote against their own proposed amendments?
Sandro Pace
May 7th 2009, 21:11
“I know that what we have adopted today is resisted by some countries in Council. "
What will happen if this will not go through in the council of ministers? These are the same ministers who refused compulsory burden sharing.
I will only applaud when all goes through. Just one country is enough to hold everything.
James Dimech
May 7th 2009, 20:47
@LGalea
You seem to be in a raving panic to pour water on a positive initiative just because it is PN
Muscat.Pat
May 7th 2009, 20:39
If the PN harnesses its energy to improve the wellbeing of the people, instead of spinning and weaving false news, we would be by now a gem of a country. Instead we have PN spinners glorifying Simon Busuttil, when the proposal for "LEGAL" burden sharing and not "VOLUNTARY", burden sharing as trumpeted by Simon and GonziPN-came from a Maltese Labour MEP! Moreover, it was the Socialist group that voted in favour of the motion, which passed with a great majority. How puerile can the PN apologists get?
Anthony Magri
May 7th 2009, 20:29
All these SMURFS, sorry blue tinted P.Ns have been mislead and did not realis et. All three Labour MEP registered in writing a favourable vote . A yes in writing. You should all apologise and admit to have been mislead, as usual.
Paul Bartolo
May 7th 2009, 20:23
@ Charles Ebejer
When you don't know what you are saying - quoting from your comment "I've just heard that (...)", it's better to be completely sure. This is a national problem, not a "political affair", as you are claiming. And I find very immoral and unethical using illegal immigration as a political weapon. It's human lives that we're talking about, not a football match.
Answering more objectively, this is what happened:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/mepelections/view/20090507/news/pn-demands-pl-explanation-on-migration-vote
Personally I don't care about who you vote for, but bear in mind that you are voting for the individual and not for the party supporting their campaign. As far as I'm concerned, there is only one person out there that was consistent and worked the utmost for Malta throughout his career, even before the EU.
Not Simon!
Charles Ebejer
May 7th 2009, 19:52
Yes you are right. As you said Labour MEP's think only for themselves.
Paul Bartolo
May 7th 2009, 19:07
@Charles Ebejer
It seems that you are throwing accusations against those MEPs. Did you inform yourself why they voted as they did?
In any case, MEPs are representing one nation, not one government. They are individuals who can think for themselves.
Unless you consider that everything the Government says is right, of course...
SIMON VELLA
May 7th 2009, 18:46
LABOUR MEPS; LOUIS GRECH VOTED IN FAVOUR
JOHN ATTARD MONTALTO AGAINST
GLENN BEDINGFIELD PRESENT BUT HE DID NOT VOTE
WELL DONE SIMON AND DAVID FOR YOUR VOTE IN FAVOUR.ON THE 6TH OF JUNE VOTE PN
Charles Ebejer
May 7th 2009, 18:22
I've just heard that the Labour MEP's voting pattern for the changes in the Dublin regulations was one against, one in favour and one did not vote. To those who do not intend to vote in this EP election this should be an eye opener. We want representatives that have only Malta's interest at heart not representatives that their only purpose is to obstruct the government's efforts to secure the most benefial deals for our country.
Wayne Hewitt
May 7th 2009, 17:55
Well done John Spiteri of Azzjoni Nazzjonali for exposing this pre-election vote catching stunt
John Spiteri is a candidate for Azzjoni Nazzjonali in next June's EP election
Use your vote wisely, there is only one party who was always consistent on the illegal immigration problem. Vote Azzjoni Nazzjonali
Galea. L
May 7th 2009, 16:45
Joe Vella Mellieha, edwin formosa
This has absolutely nothing to do with Simon.
1. It has been approved because of the PES group.
2. What has been approved are only the suspension of the application of the Dublin II Convention to countries such as Malta.
3. No compulsory burden sharing has been approved.
4. It will have to be approved by the Council of Ministers.
“I know that what we have adopted today is resisted by some countries in Council..."
Who in his proper mind would approve compulsory burden sharing?
Do you think that the Ministers of the other member countries are mad to accept compulsory burden sharing?
Do you think that their people will accept it?
This is simply a vote catching attempt prior to the EP elections.
You can try to pull the other one Simon.
Stephen Farrugia
May 7th 2009, 16:36
"This article gives the false impression that what the EP proposes becomes law. No such thing because the EP has no such power. The road is therefore long and torturous and the probability is that while the Dublin II revision might eventually find acceptance - the obligatory burden sharing will never see the light of day like many EP proposals before"
100% true, they want to fool people into believing that it is a done deal. What a joke !
C. Marsh
May 7th 2009, 16:13
@ Joe Vella
Qisu għamilha Simon Busutill din .. This has passed because the Socialist group was behind the proposal. So let's say the truth not try to give political milage to S.B.
edwin formosa
May 7th 2009, 15:57
Prosit u Grazzi. Dr Busuttil.
John Spiteri, Information Secretary AN
May 7th 2009, 15:34
This article gives the false impression that what the EP proposes becomes law. No such thing because the EP has no such power. The road is therefore long and torturous and the probability is that while the Dublin II revision might eventually find acceptance - the obligatory burden sharing will never see the light of day like many EP proposals before.
Malta should therefore remain unremitting in its pressure and not be lulled into a false sense of security. Far from delivering - it is only a start, and our MEPs along with all Maltese politicians should always keep this in mind. It is too early for them to start patting each other on the back for a job well done.
Joe Vella Mellieha.)
May 7th 2009, 15:21
Well done Dr. Busutill. Keep the hard work up.
This only goes to show that diplomacy and the power of reason and persuasion will always win over feet stomping and veto mongering.