France to take 99 asylum seekers
France plans to take 99 asylum seekers from Malta in the coming weeks, as part of the pilot project secured by EU leaders at the end of the Brussels summit.
The details will be finalised on Friday when French Immigration Minister Eric Besson flies to Malta for a one-day meeting with Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici.
Last Friday, Malta secured a concrete pledge inserted into the summit's conclusions so that refugees and beneficiaries of humanitarian status could relocate to member states which choose to accept them on a voluntary basis.
Details of the way the pilot project will operate have yet to emerge but a ministry spokesman said more details should be in hand this week.
Immigration will be high on the government's agenda this week, as Dr Mifsud Bonnici will also host Swedish Migration Tobias Billström tomorrow and Tuesday to discuss the EU Stockholm programme, before Sweden takes over the EU Presidency on July 1.
This programme is a five-year strategy with precise goals in the areas of freedom, justice and security. The plan has to be endorsed by member states by the end of this year.
It should also lead to increased solidarity between member states and a more permanent burden-sharing mechanism.
Currently, the EU cannot oblige member states to take asylum seekers, but the blueprint of the Stockholm Programme states "there should be a common area of protection and solidarity through a single procedure and uniform international protection rules"
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steve elliott,uk
Jun 21st 2009, 20:18
Couldn't they have made it a round 100?
colin wilcox
Jun 21st 2009, 19:36
are france going to drop these 99 at dover where all the rest are waitng to cross t the uk
Alexander Morana
Jun 21st 2009, 17:59
Michelle Dali, the Malta Government has been reluctant to repatriate the failed asylum applicants due to the huge costs involved. If you are aware that recently the much trumpeted EU Immigration Accord specifies that the cost of sharing repatriated failed refugees to the country of origin. This implies that costs of air fares and transportation to the far corners of Africa. It is ironic that the Malta Government did enough money to splash on opening embassies in the Middle East, while borrowing millions to sustain an ever increasing deficit.
Chris Zammit
Jun 21st 2009, 14:44
There are 27 countries within the EU including Malta, if each Country took 100 immigrants, and send the others back to Libya. It should help solve the problem.........BUT yes I am dreaming. I hope for the sake of Malta all immigrants are stopped leaving Libya. They WILL find another way of leaving Libya, they realy DONT want to come to Malta. They want Italy, then France then the UK. The Uk have them turning up daily in backs of lorries, under lorries YES under lorries !!!! UNBELIEVABLE.
Michelle Dali
Jun 21st 2009, 14:25
While this project seems like a good thing on the face of it, there is the danger that it's existence will encourage illegal immigrants to actually head for Malta, in the hope that from here they will be transferred to another EU country.
The project is only there for refugees and beneficiaries of humanitarian status. What about the thousands of illegal immigrants already in Malta who do not qualify for any protection? When will they be deported? They have no right to be here and the government must ensure that they are repatriated as soon as possible.
P Borg
Jun 21st 2009, 12:16
France should not be burdened with these illegals.
We should adopt the Italian approach: you came here illegally, then you go straight back to Libya. Period.
lgalea
Jun 21st 2009, 11:28
So how many refugees are still here?
Are those with humanitarian status also going to be taken to other countries?
Is is true that only Malta grants humanitarian status?
When are ALL the ILLEGAL immigrants going to be expelled back to Libya or repatriated?
louise vella
Jun 21st 2009, 11:06
How many illegal immigrants are still in Malta? How many have been repatriated or relocated?
The main solution is not to relocate, but to stop them from coming. We have had a respite thanks to Italy's new policy of sending the boats back to Libya.
We need a lasting solution. An EU coastguard which dissuades people smugglers from plying their trade and their accomplices (the trafficked illegal immigrants) from playing along with them. A robust EU coastguard will keep away unwanted immigrants.