Socialists see urgent need for burden sharing

The Socialist Group in the European Parliament has promised it will do its utmost to ensure the EU treats Malta's illegal immigration problem as a special case.

The Socialists' leader Martin Schultz wrote to Maltese MEP Louis Grech saying Malta could no longer wait for an agreement on burden-sharing to be reached with all member states.

"The problem of illegal immigration in Malta should be treated as a special case and immediate action by the EU should be considered. Burden-sharing should start with immediate effect," he wrote. "It is evident that Malta cannot carry this added burden on its own. The current solidarity spirit among member states is not giving the desired results and the EU is showing it does not know how to manage this problem in concrete terms," he added.

Mr Schultz promised Mr Grech that the Socialist group would be exerting its pressure on the EU to give Malta the necessary concrete help to face this problem.

Mr Schultz was replying to a letter Mr Grech sent calling on the Socialist Group to help Malta solve the immigration problem.

Giving details on the prevalent situation, Mr Grech told Mr Schultz that "urgent action is needed as the European institutions are not addressing the island's problems with the necessary urgency".