Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
Brussels unveils relief measures
Barrot to visit Libya shortly
The European Commission has decided on a package of short- to long-term measures to help Malta and southern EU member states plagued by illegal immigration and asylum-seekers.
Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot will next week give Home Affairs Ministers a set of proposals that include financial help, the setting up of a specific mechanism of burden-sharing and the opening of an EU/UNHCR office in Libya to assess asylum requests.
"I was shocked with the situation when I came to Malta and decided your island needs help and soon," Mr Barrot told The Times yesterday.
The decision on the package was taken yesterday at a meeting of the College of Commissioners held on the personal initiative of President Josè Manuel Barroso.
Mr Barrot will be officially writing to the 27 member states today specifying the various measures the Commission will be tabling to get the ball rolling this summer.
According to the draft letter, seen by The Times, the Commission will be presenting a set of proposals, most of which are in line with what the Maltese government has been calling for over the past years.
These include €10 million in additional funds to the existing financial instruments and a burden-sharing mechanism whereby member states would be able to resettle refugees and those granted asylum status in their countries. This will first work on a voluntary basis, although the Commission intended to ask for specific quotas from member states in the long-term. This quota system was used in the past in the case of Iraqi refugees.
The Commission will also be tabling Malta's specific proposal to set up, together with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, reception centres in North African countries, particularly Libya. This would give potential asylum-seekers the possibility to have their applications assessed without risking their lives and escaping in rugged boats to Malta, Italy or other southern member states.
The EU Executive is also proposing increased Frontex patrols and a conference with Libya and all interested parties to discuss concrete solutions.
The proposals were well received by Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici who said Malta had been insisting on more help and yesterday's proposals showed its efforts were reaping the desired results.
"This issue takes time and a lot of effort, patience and perseverance. However, Malta is definitely making its voice heard and the Commission is reacting. We will continue on this path until we get all the possible help we need," he said.
Mr Barrot said the failure to share the burden among member states had to stop and the Commission would be doing its utmost to help the island as of this summer.
"We have to persuade all member states to extend real and concrete help and not stop at promises. The Commission is coming out with concrete proposals and, although these won't completely solve the problem, they will contribute towards a more balanced situation," he said.
Asked why the Commission was still insisting on a voluntary rather than a compulsory burden-sharing mechanism, which Italy and Malta were requesting, Mr Barrot said this was the final long-term plan but "it needs much more work to be achieved".
"The Commission can only suggest and member states have to agree. We are trying to make this attractive by offering member states €4,000 for every person taken from Malta and resettled.
"In the long-term, maybe as early as next year, we will ask member states to pledge quotas. But now is not the right time. There is an economic crisis, low employment and an election campaign on the way."
On Libya's cooperation, a pillar in the Commission's proposed strategy, Mr Barrot said he was convinced Libyan authorities were now more proactive to give a helping hand. "We will offer financial assistance, increased acceptance in the international community and maybe also the facilitation of visa for Libyan citizens," he said.
Mr Barrot is planning to visit Libya in the coming weeks together with UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres to start discussing the specifics of the proposals with Tripoli.
Malta received a total of 5,245 asylum applications between 2006 and 2008, the highest per capita in the EU.
33 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Etienne Bonanno
May 29th 2009, 09:51
My stomach turns at the comments passed below regarding this bit of news.
No Joseph Muscat was not the only one to warn against accepting voluntary burden sharing.
No this news article is not a resounding victory for Gonzi either.
When will the Maltese cease to be blinkered by their political obsessions? Can't all you see that you're being taken for a ride by both the PN and the PL???
All this anti immigration bluster is obviously nothing but some shallow PR before the elections. I despair at the future of this country when the majority of the people are so blind!
Michael Spiteri
May 29th 2009, 07:13
Brussels unveils relief measures.......we are stuck with the illegal immigrants. No country will take these visitors volontarily unless they are highly qualified. Sadly we are being let down again from Brussels. Giving us €10 million in additional funds is not solving the problem but rather sweeping the problem under the carpet.
a pullicino
May 28th 2009, 22:37
Good grief! Poor Mr Barrot! He felt shocked in the couple of hours he spent on Malta. Maybe we should erect a monument in acknowledgement of this life-threatening trauma, somewhere prominent, like in Freedom Square... Who ever cares and gives a toss about the thousands of Maltese people who toil away at cheap slave labour rates who have to put up with thousands of illegals day and night, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year?
Margaret Richards
May 28th 2009, 21:16
Finally people like Mr. Martinelli make my day. Ms. M.Louise Vella, why all this hatred may I ask Ms. Vella??? Don't you know that underneath the skin colour we are all alike??? We happen to be living in a much better country than these people. Are you reading what's going on in Somalia? How many people had to flee the fighting?
E. Azzopardi
May 28th 2009, 20:16
To start with, Mr Barrot took his time to start something rolling. " The commission can only suggest and the members states have to agree" And if they don't , what happens then? As if we have not been through this path several times before. Nothing concrete, half baked !!! Hope I am wrong but I am not betting on it.
Moses Mula
May 28th 2009, 19:53
Part 2
Given a few years when the world economy is back on its feet I am pretty sure that some european countries who are more mature then others will be happy to take immigrants from Malta. And I guess that many immigrants will be more than happy to move on to the better life they were seeking in the first place. I have spoken to hundreds of refugees in these last ten years I have been living in Sweden and I hardly meet any who say that they are not happy here or that they would rather move to another country. I guess that is because they did not find a disgusting detention center waiting for them but flats and schools willing to teach them the language and help them integrate. I hope Barrot will make sure that those who want to emigrate through an EU/UNHCR office in Libya to europe will get tipped about the sort of welcome they will get in southern Europe. Its the least they deserve. The floor is open for you Igalea, Louise Vella and the like altough if it is the same kantaliena it has gone beyond boring.
Moses Mula
May 28th 2009, 19:39
Part 1
I can understand that Barrot was shocked by the situation he saw in Malta. He was polite not to call it atrocious and beyond belief. And I am not talking about the number of immigrants in detension centers but the state of the detention centers themselves and the desperate situation immigrants find themselves in. I am sure that he in someway found out about the rise in anti-immigrants sentiments in Malta. The E.U. has by all means the duty to help Malta in this situation before it gets uglier. On the other hand both Malta and Italy used inhumane means to try and prove their point and justify their arguments. I totally agree that some E.U. countries take much more immigrants than others. On the other hand some of these countries who take the bulk of these immigrants have goverments that come up with solid structures so this does not turn into a problem while others are either unable to or just refuse to.
john fenech
May 28th 2009, 18:43
Thanks will be in order to those who have contributed so that Malta might achieve a tangible hope of reprieve from this predicament.
Since on our own we will never solve this phenomenon let us hope that after several years of frustration the EU partners and Libya will provide the essential assistance to Malta & the southern Mediterranean countries to solve this dilemma .
• First by identifying at source (Libya) those in need of asylum.
• Second by establishing a sensible quota to each European country
• Third the EU will provide adequate finance and assistance to train the immigrants
• The European countries will accept those immigrants, from Malta, who wish to settle in main land Europe.
• Libya will accept back the illegal immigrants originating from its shores.
lgalea
May 28th 2009, 17:42
J Martinelli
Have a look at the JRS Brussels website and see the bad publicity they have been making are still making for years. Is it not Gonzi who keeps allowing ILLEGAL immigrants to stay notwithstanding that the vast majority of Maltese citizens do not want them here? Was he not warned not to sign the "voluntary burden sharing agreement"? Total number of ILLEGAL immigrants taken by EU countries = 0.
Just to help you go to http://www.jrseurope.org/policycampaigns.htm and browse to your heart's content.
Also have a look at http://www.detention-in-europe.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=61&Itemid=68 to see the photo of a traffic policeman with an ILLEGAL immigrant child looking as if he is afraid of the policeman. This has been on the website for ages and the JRS are doing a great disservice to Malta.
J Martinelli
May 28th 2009, 16:55
@ Louise Vella
It means that preferably you should refrain from implicating the Jesuit Refugees Services and Dr. Gonzi's 'Christian values and moral obligations' stance with your politically motivated comments.
Problem solving does not include introducing more negative comments which, in the end, are most unhelpful.
This particular problem needs time to solve and unfortunately sometimes it does not fit your and my timetable. Patience is a virtue and with the right diplomacy (not the gunboat type), this will get resolved and life goes on.
June 6 is just another day in the life of the world.
Michael Tabone
May 28th 2009, 16:33
Dr Joseph Muscat said long ago that voluntary burden sharing would not work. Events have proved him right. Gonzi PN made fun of him when he insisted that Malta should stand firm on this issue. Now even the EU is considering a quota compulsory burden sharing. However when will real action be taken by the EU countries on this issue? Malta cannot wait any longer.
I do not think that Euro 4000 per person taken from Malta will be enough to induce EU countries to accept immigrants from Malta. Gonzi PN should lobby harder and for more funds than simply Euro 10 million for Mediterranean countries.
Euro 10 million is just Euro 1906 for each 5245 asylum seekers received in Malta between 2006 and 2008. Clearly Euro 10 million is very little amount of money. The help being offered by the EU is very very little in front of this major humanitarian problem. So much for the help from our friends in the EU !!!
Melissa Gatt
May 28th 2009, 16:29
Same old same old..... We are all aware that voluntary sharing is proven not to work.. no immigrant was and will ever be taken voluntarily - and who does not know this is living in the dark and is making himself believe this... How much will be shared? Ridiculous!!! 10 million not enough for Malta let alone to be shared with other med countries.... Come on guys who is actually buying this???
David Seychell
May 28th 2009, 16:27
"The Commission can only suggest and member states have to agree"
That says it all. ALL 27 member states have to agree to carry the illegal immigration burden NOT on a voluntary basis FIRST. So far, all the other 26 EU members VOLUNTARY took a Grand Total of 0 (zero) migrants from Malta. So what makes you think they are going to VOLUNTARY accept to UNvoluntary accept burden sharing (i.e. compulsory burden sharing)?
lgalea
May 28th 2009, 14:53
Can Mr Barrot tell us who would accept to take ILLEGAL immigrants to his country against the will of his people?
louise vella
May 28th 2009, 14:45
Does all this really mean that after 6th June Dr Gonzi will not start his litany again about values, Christian values and moral obligations?
Does it mean that after 6th June the Jesuit Refugees Service will not start again its campaign in favour of illegal immigrants?
Does it mean that after 6th June the influx of boatload after boatload of illegal immigrants will not start again?
Andrew Mangion
May 28th 2009, 14:45
Quote: "This will first work on a voluntary basis, although the Commission intended to ask for specific quotas from member states in the long-term. "
All the measures mentioned are just crap! We have seen how willing other EU countries are to take illegal immigrants from our shores.As far as I know only GOZO took the task by accepting 66 illegal immigrants dumped (excuse me for the harsh word) by the Italians a couple of weeks ago.
If the government took heed of PL back in October not to sign the pact of Voluntary burden Sharing, we would not be the laughing stock of our European counterparts.
mario gellel
May 28th 2009, 14:42
Again and again,new suggestions,new promises ,But?
The Burden sharing was voluntary and voluntary is going to stay.
Who is going to help us if we don"t help ourselves, by not allowing any boats enter our shores in the first place and they can say what they like on us.We are used to that.
d. borg
May 28th 2009, 14:18
"In the long-term, maybe as early as next year, we will ask member states to pledge quotas. But now is not the right time. There is an economic crisis, low employment and an election campaign on the way." -
As if Malta is not experiencing these situations too. But we have to bring them ashore and support them whilst for the other EU countries we have to find the right time. Meta forsi jkollhom burdata tajba. Qeghdin sew eh!
J Martinelli
May 28th 2009, 14:02
At last, MV Ewropa is steering in the right direction.
And, this is without Malta resorting to any vetos!
Diplomacy works.
carmelo (Nenu) Aquilina
May 28th 2009, 13:17
PROSIT SUR PRIM MINISTRU DR LAWRENC GONZI, PROSIT DR CARMENU MIFSUD BONNOCI, PROSIT IL-GVERN KOLLU, U DAWK KOLLHA LI ĦADMU ID F'ID MAL-GVERN MALTI. PROSIT SPECJALI GHANDHA TMUR LEJN L-UFFICCJALI U L-MEMBRI TAL-FORZI ARMATI MALTIN U TAL-PULIZIJA TAL-ĦIDMA PROFESJONALI LI JWETQU F'DAN IL-QASAM LEJL U NHAR.. FLIMKIEN UREJTU LID-DINJA LI GHALKEM AĦNA ZGHAR, AĦNA KAPACI NHADDMU L-LIĠIJIET INTERNAZZJONALI F' DEMOKRAZIJA U BID-DIPLOMAZIJA MEHTIEĠA KAPACI NAGHMLU L-AFFARIJIET SEWWA U KIF JIXRAQ DAQS IL-KBAR.
U LILL DAWK IL-MALTIN LI HSIBHOM BISS BIEX JGHIDU KONTRA KULL MA JAGHMEL IL-GVERN, FLIMKIEN MA' DAWK LI DAHQU U QALU LI T-TALJANI GHAMLULU NASBA LILL-GONZI.ILLUM NGHIDILHOM. OHORGU IFIRHU GHAX ILLUM MALTA TAGHKOM UKOLL REBHET BILL-GVERN TA' GONZI, U GHALHEKK IRBAHTU INTOM UKOLL HUTI MALTIN.
iLLUM ANKE HUTNA L-EMEGRANTI U R-REFUGJATI HUMA FERHANA, GHAX BIL-HILA TA'L-GVERN BRAVU MALTI SER JIBBENEFIKAW HUMA WKOLL BIL-KBIR.
VIVA MALTA U L-MALTIN!
Gabriella Gatt
May 28th 2009, 13:12
Still voluntary sharing which proven not to work. No immigration was taken voluntarily. How much will be shared? Ridiculous! 10 million not enough 4 Malta let alone to be shared with other mediterranean countries
P Debono
May 28th 2009, 13:00
So in short... They will be granted more rights than Maltese citizens.
All we ask for is that our island is returned to the Maltese people, not for us to become second-class citizens in our own country. Is that so hard to grasp?!
Joanne Micallef
May 28th 2009, 13:00
I'll start believing when I start to factually see these changes, we've been hearing words of comfort and understanding for months, only to see that when it came down to business we found ourselves on our own.
Anthony Camilleri
May 28th 2009, 12:40
The bottom line of this package is that burden-sharing would still be on a voluntary basis. Which practically leaves things as they are now. Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici's comment that "We will continue on this path until we get all the possible help we need" in my opinion betrays disappointment.
Chris Borg
May 28th 2009, 12:20
"In the long-term, maybe as early as next year, we will ask member states to pledge quotas. But now is not the right time."
This is not what we want to hear. It seems it is never the right time to take action.
If we are hearing this on the eve of the elections, we can guess what we will be hearing after the elections when the pressure will lessen.
Mario Tabone-Vassallo
May 28th 2009, 12:13
PROSIT ta’ l-isforz. Tiswa’ kemm tiswa r-riforma, mehtiega biex innaqqsu t-tingis mill-karozzi li qed imarrad u joqtol, intejbu l-ambjent li nghixu fih, innaqqsu l-hrug barra minn Malta ta’ valuta ghax-xiri tal-karozzi privati u taz-zejt li jhaddimhom u ncekknu r-rifsa karbonika kif obbligati naghmlu mit-trattati li ffirmajna. Ninhtiegu trasport pubbliku dipendibbli tul 24 siegha kuljum
stephen farrugia
May 28th 2009, 11:23
We kindly thank them for nothing, once again and we have our own proposals and ideology. We only trust people that want to take action against immigration over the last five years and not more proposals on the eve of the election.
K Grech
May 28th 2009, 11:21
"Mr Barrot said the failure to share the burden among member states had to stop and the Commission would be doing its utmost to help the island as of this summer."
So, Burden Sharing was proven not to work ..... hmmm ..... I think there were loads of people that told the Government that this is not going to work, but as usual ..........
I really wish to start reading in these type of news how much is going to be shared ..... We want some solid solutions. We just hope that one day we will see some light!!
Nigel Lawrence
May 28th 2009, 11:20
How can these people continue to be referred to as "illegal", when Brussels wants to integrate them into the EU.
If they are "illegal" they should be shown the way back home.
Or is it that they are black, that they get special treatment?
Roberto Vella
May 28th 2009, 10:43
This will be hailed as a big improvement and hyped up for sure. Pity that the basis of the proposed measures still remains VOLUNTARY and there is NO binding measure in sight, not even for the long term. Will this be effective? Hardly if one were to judge on past perfromance. How many immigrants were transfered to other countries on a voluntary basis? None.
Worse still is the 10 million carrot being bandied around. This figure is not enough for malta let alone for this to be shared with all EU mediterranean countries!
This is just an electoral ploy being used i'd say by Barroso who is seeking re-election. And it iwll be used locally for the upcoming MEP elections.
More concrete action is needed!
Nathalie Zammit
May 28th 2009, 10:24
Joseph Muscat was the only eye opener back in October that Voluntary Burden Sharing will not get us anywhere.
Now a days, finally, after signing the voluntary pact, the government woke up to realise that Muscat was right!
Not even one single immigrant has been taken after signing this pact. And now has Mr. Barrot outlined the number of immigrants EU countries are willing to take ?
Not to mention that 10 million Euros are not even enough for Malta let alone all the Med countries !
Seychell Michael
May 28th 2009, 10:09
This is very good news for malta and confirms how wrong was Joe Muscat to insist on the Veto. I have already commented that Mintoff gained nothing but disdain from other countries when he used the Veto, and this would have happened again had JM been PM - thank God that this will not happen at least before another 4 years, if it will ever happen.
This is a confirmation that one can achieve everything including obligatory burden sharing through persuasive negotiations. Our country arrived at this stage because there was the first step when the PN signed the voluntaruy burden scheme. Gonzi and our MEPs were certain that after this the scheme will become obligatory, and it seems that this will come sooner than expected. Had we used the Veto we would have obtained nothing.
As a final note, I am sure that the usual moaners will say that this is only election hype by the EU to assist the PN, but time will prove them wrong.
Michael Seychell
Tal-Pieta
Mario Tabone-Vassallo
May 28th 2009, 09:36
Mhux proposti hziena. Izda sadanittant, l-immigranti illegali godda jridu jitreggghu lura mill-bahar lejn il-Libja. B’xorti hazina, l-UE bhal bejta bil-frieh, jekk ma tajjatx joqtluk bil-guh jew jarmuk il-barra mill-bejta wennisijja. Ghalhekk PROSIT KBIR lill-Gvern u l-politici Maltin li hadmu flimkien, pass tajjeb, izda tafdawhomx u thallulhomx wisq laxk minn fejn jizolqu