Borg calls for cooperation with African countries on immigration

Foreign Minister Tonio Borg has called for increased cooperation with the countries that are transited by migrants before they leave for the European Union.

Addressing an EU foreign ministers' meeting, Dr Borg appealed to his European counterparts to demonstrate more solidarity with those countries experiencing high influxes of immigration. he said the EU should help Libya in the control of its frontiers.

Besides making demands on Libya, the EU should also understand Libya’s own demands from the European Union.

Dr Borg also insisted that search and rescue operations should be carried out in the context of existing international laws.

On the repatriation of illegal immigrants, Dr Borg said that the challenge was not in the logistical planning of flights, but on the lack of documentation that was necessary for the repatriation process to be completed. To this end, the European Commission should strive to reach agreements with countries of origin for the recognition of documentation which produced by the European Union in the absence of the basic documentation.