Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
Frontex mission will not send migrants back to Libya
The EU's anti-immigration patrols will not turn back immigrants to Libya, as Italy is doing, but "will keep on following the current rules of engagement as established since 2006".
"At the moment Frontex does not plan to change the operational plan for the Nautilus 2009. The Italian development is based on bilateral agreements between Italy and Libya. Frontex is coordinating cooperation between member states but the command and control stays in hands of the hosting country."
The mission, in fact, is being hosted by Malta and according to a Frontex spokesman speaking to The Times yesterday from Warsaw, everything is business as usual and Frontex does not have any intention to return people to Libya, which is Italy's new policy.
So far the Commission has failed to comment on Italy's practice which has been heavily criticised by the UN's refugee agency UNHCR, the Vatican's commission on migration and even the Council of Europe for breaching migrants' human rights.
The main line of protest is that by pushing migrants back out to sea, Italy is not giving immigrants an opportunity to apply for asylum as it is their right to.
Apart from Malta, which is hosting the mission through its armed forces, this year's €10 million EU patrol mission is also being assisted by two helicopters from Germany and an aircraft from Luxembourg.
Italy and Finland are also taking part through experts who will assist the Maltese authorities.
It is not yet clear what the Frontex mission has achieved so far although the number of illegal immigrants coming to Malta since the start of the operation last month has been very limited. Similar operations during the past three years have not really had the desired effect as Malta was still reached by thousands of illegal immigrants.
According to the rules of engagement used in past years, the Frontex mission will only intervene if immigrants are in distress. In these cases, they are given help and taken to the nearest safe port.
Meanwhile, following last week's development when Libya started taking back illegal immigrants found by Italy in international waters, the two countries are expected to start joint patrols for the first time in Libya's territorial waters.
Yesterday, a ceremony was held in the Port of Gaeta in which Italy officially passed on to Libya three patrol boats to be used in these missions.
Italy's Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said during the ceremony that Italy was investing to secure Europe's borders and the EU should take note and start doing the same to help countries such as Italy, Malta and Greece.
These joint patrols, which were meant to have got under way earlier in the year but were postponed several times, form part of a bilateral agreement signed between Rome and Tripoli which also includes substantial financial assistance to Libya.
According to Minister Maroni, these joint patrols should stop illegal immigrants departing from Libya to Lampedusa and southern Italy. Almost all illegal immigrants arriving in Malta leave from the 2,000 kilometre long Libyan coast.
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v.pulis
May 15th 2009, 23:52
Today is the 15th may when italy and libya should have started their joint patrols.
malcolm seychell.
May 15th 2009, 21:37
So this is what will happen
Frontex picks illegal immigrants. They tell them, in Italy they will send you back to Libya. In Malta you will be a few months in detention and then you are free.
l. Gauci
May 15th 2009, 20:51
Since Frontex has declared that it will not send back immigrants to Libya, but will take them back to the nearest safe port, this will mean that we will be inundated with more and more illegals, now that Italy has managed to arrange with Libya to take them back. So what use is Frontex going to be to Malta, Greece, Cyprus and other Meditteranean countries, which have to bear the brunt of this invasion?
The Frontex mission should be disbanded, as it has failed miserably to safeguard the rights of Europeon citizens. The millions of euros which it is costing should be used to help these Africans, by giving them the means and educating them to build better lives for themselves in their own countries. I am sure that these poor souls would much rather remain in their own country and not pay their lives' savings and risk their lives crossing deserts and seas, only to meet detention and hostility in foreign lands.
Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi
May 15th 2009, 20:03
This is the FRONTEXt book policy of the JRS. It is an aFRONT to common sense and the Maltese nation.
Kaydee Zammit
May 15th 2009, 19:43
This is ridiculous. Come on Malta, let us protest against this! What is the Frontex for then? Bringing the immigrants to Malta? And how come what the UNHCR says is followed each time? If another demonstration takes place, I DEFINITELY will be there and so will many others, I think. What is keeping us?
Charles Sammut
May 15th 2009, 18:02
Why is Frontex being called "The EU's anti-immigration patrols" if all it will do is deliver illegal immigrants to Europe's shores? It is simply a ferry service for illegal immigrants and any government worth its salt would send it packing. Frontex - the illegal immigrant's guaranteed passage to Europe.
Patrick Cilia
May 15th 2009, 15:29
Immigrants need to be given the opportunity to apply in apropoer manner for asylum at a special office in Libya, as has been suggested earlier this week. By "legalizing" this status we are also cutting the cords from those mindless criminals who make mil.lions from these people.......
Mario Tabone-Vassallo
May 15th 2009, 13:06
Frontex sa issa ghamlet il-qaghada tal-Immigrazzjoni Illegali ghar, kif qalu ufficjali ta’ l-UE stess. Din l-istqarrija tbezzaghni ghax tista’ tkun qed tipprova terga’ titfa’ l-piz kollu fuq Malta. Sakemm Malta taghmilha car li l-Immigranti Illegali jittiehdu lejn l-eqreb art, tkun dik Pantellerija, il-Libja jew Malta, jista’ jkun li Frontex tkun ta’ siewi tassew, barra ghal min qed jiddandan biha.
Christopher Briffa
May 15th 2009, 12:44
So what will happen now if Italy refuses to take imigrants that are closest to Lampedusa or any other Italian port for that matter. Will they be brought to Malta since we are the country hosting this Frontex mission? Can our MEP`s please clarify this, especially Dr Simon Busuttil, since as far as I know he is the MEP directly involved with Frontex? We the tax paying citizens of this country demand to know the implications of this decision by Frontex especially in light of the recent events.
louise vella
May 15th 2009, 12:40
cont/...
These majorities of Maltese against illegal immigration have grown despite Dr Gonzi's constant preaching for five or six years about Christian values and in favour of JRS policies. This preaching has moderated only recently with the approach of the MEP elections. Dr Fenech Adami has no such constraints. As soon as he was freed from the responsibility of the presidency he spoke eloquently in favour of JRS agenda. Too bad that large majorities of the Maltese, including traditional Nationalist voters, have had more than enough of the boats of illegal immigrants. Can Dr Gonzi assure the Maltese electorate that after the MEP elections he will not go back to preaching about welcoming illegal immigrants? Can he give us a guarantee that he will follow Italy's new policy and insist that Frontex too escorts boats of illegal immigrants back to Libya?
louise vella
May 15th 2009, 12:39
"Frontex does not have any intention to return people to Libya, which is Italy's new policy."
In that case one wonders what Frontex will do and how it expects to satisfy the wishes of the Maltese people. A recent poll on www.timesofmalta.com showed that more than 60% saw immigration as the main issue of the MEP elections. A current online poll on maltarightnow.com shows that 89% agree with Italy's policy of taking boats of illegal immigrants back to Libya, 7% do not agree and 2% dont know. These are not scientific polls but one cannot sneeze at such big majorities.
cont/...
Joe Grima (Brussels)
May 15th 2009, 11:52
For me, if the illegal migrants are not taken back, Frontex can pack up and go home. The real problem is not the migrants themselves, but those who make big money sending them. You might have a thousand Embassies and Screening Centres in Libya, but if you do not send back those who cross over, it is all a waste of time. If Frontex do not send them back, to be processed in Libyan Embassies, they will actually be AIDING THE TRAFFICKERS, not the migrants. While if boat after boat is sent back, one day they might give it up.
Even with Frontex, there was a considerable loss of life! The real answer is to PERSUADE them that they SHOULD be processed in Libya. FULL STOP.
Mario Tabone-Vassallo
May 15th 2009, 11:35
Frontex sa issa ghamlet il-qaghada tal-Immigrazzjoni Illegali ghar, kif qalu ufficjali ta’ l-UE stess. Din l-istqarrija tbezzaghni ghax tista’ tkun qed tipprova terga’ titfa’ l-piz kollu fuq Malta. Sakemm Malta taghmilha car li l-Immigranti Illegali jittiehdu lejn l-eqreb art, tkun dik Pantellerija, il-Libja jew Malta, jista’ jkun li Frontex tkun ta’ siewi tassew, barra ghal min qed jiddandan biha.
J Farrugia
May 15th 2009, 10:56
If Frontex doesn't want to send back illegal immigrants then I say Malta, wake up. Stop serving this monstrous Frontex mission. It is just there to impose on us to take all illegal immigrants found in our SAR zone. No way. this is not acceptable to our country's interests. Malta refrain from hosting any more Frontex missions. They are just trojan horses.
ms g hoare
May 15th 2009, 10:55
FRONTEX MISSION SAID The main line of protest is that by pushing migrants back out to sea, Italy is not giving immigrants an opportunity to apply for asylum as it is their right to.
1 italy returned them back to Libya
2 MALTA should follow suit get to them before they get anywere the median waters
3 it is their HUMAN rights WHAT ABOUT OUR HUMAN RIGHTS
MALTA IS BEING USED AND ABUSED by everybody .MAY GOD HELP US FIGHT THIS PROBLEM.
Joanne Micallef
May 15th 2009, 10:15
Great, in other words since Italy has been very clear regarding it's new immigration policy we'll most probably be lumping the whole lot.....right?
Can our AFM issue a statement as to how the Frontex will operate? What about the disagreement there was between Italy and Malta which resulted in the delay of operations, has an agreement been found? Will Frontex begin before of after June 6th?
lgalea
May 15th 2009, 09:56
THIS ONLY MEANS ONE THING.
ITALY WILL NOT ACCEPT THEM .
THEY WILL BE BROUGHT TO MALTA BY THE FRONTEX FREE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FERRY SERVICE.
MALTESE CITIZENS RISE UP AGAINST THE INVASION OF OUR COUNTRY CONDUCTED BY THE EU PETTY DICTATORS.
LET'S START DEMONSTRATING AGAINST THE EU AND ITS IMPOSITIONS.
LET'S SIGN THE CNI PETITION.
d. borg
May 15th 2009, 09:54
This is bad news for Malta. What exactly is the scope of Frontex? To ferry immigrants to Malta? Then it had better not start at all. We are sick and tired of immigrants, EU and Frontex. They have disrupted our lives and replaced our peace of mind with a sense of insecurity and frustration.