Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
Brussels stands firm on Frontex guidelines
Frontex mission may be in jeopardy
The European Commission has no intention of changing its draft guidelines on anti-migration patrol missions despite the objections of Malta and Italy.
Speaking to The Times yesterday, a Frontex official said the new guidelines were specifically aimed at avoiding disputes such as the ones that broke out between Malta and Italy. In the past, immigrants were stuck on the high seas as the two countries were locked in a diplomatic wrangle on who was responsible for the people rescued.
“Everyone recalls these incidents and the Commission’s intervention. Brussels ended up as a referee in these disputes and we don’t think that’s our role. This is specifically why we needed to have a specific code of conduct to guide future Frontex missions. This will put participating member states’ minds at rest,” the official said.
Last week, the EU Council adopted Frontex guidelines to be used in future anti-migration missions coordinated by the EU agency. Controversially, the guidelines say that if it is not possible to return migrants picked up by Frontex vessels to the country they left from, they must be sent to the country hosting the Frontex mission.
Malta has hosted the mission for the past two years. The mission was previously based in Italy.
Both Malta and Italy objected strongly on the basis of the fact that the guidelines go beyond international legal obligations, which say that migrants should be taken to the nearest safe port.
A European Parliament spokes-man confirmed this issue was already being looked at by the Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee, which was expected to give its green light by the first week of April so the guidelines would become enforceable before the start of the next planned Frontex mission in the Mediterranean.
However, the spokesman specified that the EP could not change the gui-delines as approved by the Council.
“The EP has no power to amend these guidelines. We can only approve or reject the new rules. If the EP decides to reject them, and this is highly improbable, the guidelines will be sent back to the Commission, which will then have to scrap them or come up with another proposal,” the spokesman emphasised.
“However, MEPs do not have the authority to change a single word from the text of the draft rules.”
Malta has insisted over the years that, according to international law, it is obliged to take rescued immigrants and asylum seekers at the nearest safe port, which often meant the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Although Italy contests Malta’s interpretation and the new EU guidelines seem to favour its stance, Rome has rejected the guidelines because they go beyond international obligations.
“We think the EU cannot override international rules and that is why we objected,” an Italian diplomat in Brussels said.
“The new rules will even put more pressure on us if we decide to host a Frontex mission and we don’t want that to happen,” he said.
Although Frontex was planning to start its new anti-migration patrol mission in the Mediterranean in April, the new rules may have put the mission in jeopardy as both Malta and Italy are threatening not to take part under the proposed rules.
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sean grima
Feb 4th 2010, 17:37
not all maltese are catholic, but there is no doubt christianity is at the centre of maltese identity etc. i have spent time abroad (UK) too. of course there are problem zones, but it is false to blame the creation of such areas on immigrants from the third world. this is merely twisting facts to suit your arguments.
Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi
Feb 4th 2010, 16:30
@sean grima,
What makes you think all maltese are roman catholic and listen to the pope?
You can have all the so called christian values you want and it is not going to stop corrosive cultures doing their thing in our homeland once they are here.
If you like no go zones and more crime and social service spending, then following your formula is the way to get these things that other nations and foreign cities are burdened with. I have lived in such cities abroad, it is like a serious disease that won't go away.
Why create a problem that never existed in the first place.
sean grima
Feb 4th 2010, 12:07
You are right Godfrey - however, according to some people here, it is our human rights which are being violated, not those of immigrants. or, perhaps, they may be think that Africans do not have any human rights!
Godfrey Camilleri
Feb 4th 2010, 09:15
I really wonder how nobody is objecting to the basic principle in this new Frontex policy of taking illegal immigrants back to their point of origin when this is AGAINST human rights!!
sean grima
Feb 4th 2010, 08:36
perhaps someone can try to explain how the fundamental human rights of maltese people come into the picture? which of them is being violated by the presence of African migrants? the anti-immigrants keep on insisting that immigrants will erdoe our maltese identity, culture and values - there is no doubt that christian ethics, morality and values are at the core of those, and christian leaders - starting from the Pope downwards - have been preaching tolerance and respect towards immigrants! hypocrisy at its best!
John Azzopardi
Feb 4th 2010, 01:37
Sean Grima, you are so naive. What about the human rights of the majority of the maltese who do not want massive illegal immigrants on our shores.
Guze Xerri
Feb 3rd 2010, 20:44
Sean Grima,
"this does not in any way impinge on the obligation to assist the 'boat people' who arrive from africa. we should not be discriminatory in their regard, because other europeans are discriminating against us."
We repatriate ALL of them back to africa so they get the idea that it is futile and foolish to make the trip.Malta should not to be the storage depot for sub saharan africans on some foreigner's say so.. Who is looking for the Maltese national interest? Not the mainland Europeans, not the NGOs and not the illegal immigrants, so we are now forth class in our own nation with no say in government . A government that is run from Vatican City and is deaf to the pleas of its citizens.
I'd say enough is enough and about time we take the bull by the horns,'cause it is now or never.
I would say you are in the minority Sean Grima, as Maltese people do not as a rule hand over their motherland to invaders as you love to do .
Tony Tabone
Feb 3rd 2010, 19:03
"Likewise, the majority of people curse the moment they voted "Yes" in the EU referendum because they were blinded by the sheer propaganda financed by the EU itself."
By majority of people you mean the qatta Lowellists-come-pessimists-come-Mintofjani-come-ma-jafux-x'jghidu-imma-laqwa-li-jghidu-xi-haga people that spend the days of their lives trying to churn anti-everything propoganda by blogging on articles issued by timesofmalta.com?????
sean grima
Feb 3rd 2010, 18:48
i think the people who should be dumped are extemists like lgalea and charles sammut. thankfully, they are only a small minority (though the impression one may get here is different).
Charles Sammut
Feb 3rd 2010, 18:27
@ Franco Farrugia
a) This PN government was elected with less than 50% of the votes and its popularity is now far less and it has undoubtedly been overtaken by the PL. Not because the Pl have earned it but because the Pn have lost it.
b) Likewise, the majority of people curse the moment they voted "Yes" in the EU referendum because they were blinded by the sheer propaganda financed by the EU itself.
c) This government is fouling up one issue after another. There has been progress in some areas but at what cost? As for the EU, the principle of economies of scale works against Malta. We are earmarked to become the dumping ground for that which the EU does not want.
All the lies which we have been hearing over the past few years are now coming back to haunt us. Remember "Europe needs immigrants" or "Strength in Diversity" or "Immigrants will work to pay our pensions". All lies.
Franco Farrugia
Feb 3rd 2010, 17:47
@ Igalea: Xorta wahda ghadek ma wegibtnix: kemm ghandek zmien? Ghax jidher car mill-kitba tieghek li: a. int assolutament kontra l-amministrazzjoni nazzjonalista fil-Gvern; b. int radikalment kontra l-UE; c. kull ma tara huwa dak li trid tara int. Kull ma jigri fil-pajjiz, ghalik huwa hazin u zbaljat. Kull haga li jaghmel dan il-Gvern, ghalik huwa hazin u ta' min jikkundannah. Kull haga li tohrog mill-UE huwa wkoll hazin u zbaljat.
Kollox sew, ejja nohorgu mill-UE!!!! Biex nissodisfaw lilek u lil min jara biss 'pixel' wahda minflok il-kwadru shieh: umbaghad, x'se jigri? X'se naghmlu bl-immigranti illegali li jaslu fi xtutna? E, iva ... nohorgu bl-4 gunboats li ghandna u nbezzghuhom..... jew ngharrquhom..... ghaliex le?
U tigi titkellem fuq xoghol barra ... li tghidx kemm kien difficli biex tasal ghalih ... u issa, qisu xejn, taqbad, turi l-kompetenzi tieghek u ghandek xoghol kemm trid, barra. Imma mid-dehra, ghalik, ma jinteressakx fuq il-futur taz-zghar! Ghalik, l-aqwa, mid-dehra, li timxi fuq dak li qal wiehed li issa sparixxa.
Ghandna problema bil-Frontex, u rridu niggielduha, daqshekk hija semplici. Ikun hazin jekk il-Gvern icedi u jien milli qed naqra, mhux se jcedi. Il-Frontex bidlu il-'goalposts' u issa Malta trid tiehu 'stand' differenti!
lgalea
Feb 3rd 2010, 17:35
Franco Farrugia Wishful thinking? I don't think so.
sean grima Yes sean, dumping of ILLEGAL immigrants.
J. J. Borg SO you have no problem if we leave the eu. Anyone who was qualified to work and did his job never had any problems in working abroad Borg.
N.Calleja see my comments to Franco Farrugia. Also go to www.cnimalta.org and see what CNI had said throughout the years and see whether what it said was always the truth.
Edwin Mifsud
Feb 3rd 2010, 17:29
I think we should go even further than what Brussels wants us to. Let us not forget we are all citezens of the same world.
1) The detention centre should be closed.
2) Maltese (E.U.) citizenship given to all immigrants in no less than 24 hrs.
3) €1000.00 spending money given to every single immigrant.
4) Passports printed in no less than 48hrs.
5) Give them one way Airmalta tickets to any E.U. destination.
With 5 proposals like these nobody can call me inhumaine or racist, can they?
Charles Sammut
Feb 3rd 2010, 16:58
@ J J Borg
"Galea: I like the EU. It allows me to live and work abroad, away from people like you."
The sun rose this morning, thank goodness we are in the EU!
I was working abroad in the early 1970s. The EU did not even exist then. If you have the qualifications you can work anywhere.
Charles Sammut
Feb 3rd 2010, 16:53
U GonziPN qaghad jifrah ghax ser ikollna l-Agenzija tal-Azil hawn Malta.
Issa zgur ma jonqosna xejn!
N.Calleja
Feb 3rd 2010, 16:00
@ IGalea and all the eurosceptics:
I think that now you are all part of the CNI as Joseph Muscat and Co, have all turned more Europeans than the Europeans. Only Karmenu and a handful of his faithfuls want us out of the EU. Joseph has already vowed to make Malta and the Maltese the best of Europeans. Very confusing indeed!
J. J. Borg
Feb 3rd 2010, 15:36
IGalea: I like the EU. It allows me to live and work abroad, away from people like you.
Franco Xuereb
Feb 3rd 2010, 15:29
Part 2
Therefore, we should act in the interest of Malta and its people. So, the first step is to stand as one nation and thus will not participate in the Frontex mission and secondly we ought to co operate with our neighbors the Italians, so this year we can work together and thus stop the influx at see and immidetly repatriate them all back from where they left.
And we will show Brussels that we the Maltese will not stand for this full shit and we will handle this problem on our own. Of course, this can only be active if this sleeping government is willingly to act in the interest of our beloved country, and thus stop acting as a yes man to Brussels.
If we will active this, we have made the first step to solve the problem once and for all, then we will continue by sending back all Africans back from where they came so that we can start cleaning our county so that it can be left in the hands of the Maltese thus then we can say we had done the right thing in our conscience for our generations to come.
J Farrugia
Feb 3rd 2010, 15:26
MALTA MUST NOT TAKE ANY PART IN ANY FRONTEX MISSIONS IN MALTA OR ABROAD. AFM UNITS ARE THERE FOR THE MALTESE PEOPLE AND NOT FOR THE FOREIGNERS.
J Farrugia
Feb 3rd 2010, 15:25
Brussels stands firm against Malta. But Malta will also stand firm and must not accept any frontex units here in Malta. And I also suggest to the Government not to give any units to Frontex. Frontex is a great sham with a millionaire budget. Take the refugees yourselves but not in Malta.
Franco Xuereb
Feb 3rd 2010, 14:59
Part 1
I wonder if Simon Busuttil will have the courage to show this face to the general public after these new Frontex guidelines, let us to forget it was Simon Busutill who kept saying that the operation entrusted to Frontex was reaching its goals while the rest of the Maltese citizens were seeing the other side of the coin.
Let us not forget how happy GonziPN was for bringing the Frontex office to Malta, as he stated that things will work much better now…!!!! It's in my opinion that GonziPN fell for the bait from Brussels...........I'm sure GonziPn did not see all this coming.
Now can this government smell the coffee? Can he realize that main land Europe is not interested in the burden sharing that was proposed by the government of Malta? Which is not the solution to the problem but on the contrarily you are just encourage more Africans to try their luck by crossing to Europe, but the one and only solution is to repatriate them all back and let Malta remain in the hands of it's people namely the MALTESE
K Debono
Feb 3rd 2010, 14:50
So how come when the mission was based in Italy we still ended up with thousands of illegal immigrants anyway, is it just when Malta hosts something that everything is dumped in our laps? Or maybe the same italians who were trying to push into Malta's search and rescue area these last two years, are trying a different tactic.......
E. Azzopardi
Feb 3rd 2010, 13:14
Now there is no room for weakness. NOW WE HAVE TO BE FIRM because this is unacceptable. I never thought it would come to this, from our dear friends in the EU!!!!!
Solidarity thrown out of the window.
sean grima
Feb 3rd 2010, 12:57
when using the word "dumping" please remember that we are talking about human beings who have the same dignity as all of us.
Charles Sammut
Feb 3rd 2010, 12:56
Where is "Your voice in Europe"? The one who did not have the grumption to sign his MEP campaign expenses declaration. The one who keeps dreaming of burden sharing.
What does he care, he is smug and cosy in Brussels and "knows where his interests lie".
Today it is Frontex, tomorrow it will be something else. Get out of the EU before we are totally destroyed. The EU has only benefited those who sponge off it at our expense. Hallas Gahan la kont mazzun u blajt il-lixka.
Michelli Dali
Feb 3rd 2010, 12:34
It is obvious that the only way forward for Malta is to pull out of Frontex completely. Brussels is giving us no other option to defent this country from the continual invasion by African illegal immigrants. We have told Brussels time and again that this country is not in a position to take in any more. They do not care about the situation. In fact, they continue to impose rules that exacerbate it. Under these new rules, we have no choice but to refuse to go out to bring in illegal immigrants who intentionally put their own lives in danger on the high seas.
louise vella
Feb 3rd 2010, 12:29
If we join this scheme Malta will become, first, the dumping ground of the Mediterranean Sea and then the dumping ground of the whole of Africa.
Scott McDonald
Feb 3rd 2010, 11:29
@ lgalea - I second that, it is nothing but a dictatorship intend of destroying national sovereignty and imposing a European government with its security laws and a central bank to control all other banks directed by the un-elected Bilderberg Club. Get out of the EU and retain your independence.
E.Muscat
Feb 3rd 2010, 10:57
We should not allow frontex to operate from Malta as the italians are doing:we should just form a common front with Spain,France,Italy,Greece,and Cyprus and declare that we are not prepared to become detention centres for the cosy europeans up north!
Europe needs to understand that if it does not show its teeth(does it have any?) and make a treaty with the north african countries and Turkey to stop this silent invasion,we will not continue to play ball.Otherwise the immigrant boats will be repulsed by a combined navy( the navy is there for some purpose?)
sean grima
Feb 3rd 2010, 10:54
i agree that we should pull out of Frontex if this is the attitude which other European states shall be taking. however, this does not in any way impinge on the obligation to assist the 'boat people' who arrive from africa. we should not be discriminatory in their regard, because other europeans are discriminating against us.
Paul Barrett
Feb 3rd 2010, 10:53
If the EU can change International Law on its own say so, perhaps we can change some of the rules as well. Rules like having rescued people, do not record their details but fix up their boats and supply them with fuel, food and navigation equipment to get them nearer to Brussels.
I personally have doubts about the morality of "rescuing" people in difficulty at sea and then locking them up rather than assisting them on their way.
Joanne Micallef
Feb 3rd 2010, 10:49
Well than it's very clear what the EU's real intentions are, and we have no other option than to opt out of Frontex.
Paul Barrett
Feb 3rd 2010, 10:44
As I understand it, the "new" Frontex rules would in effect turn Malta into the Alcatraz of the Med. There is absolutely no way that this can be acceptable on any grounds what so ever and therefore it would be wise not to sign up to or withdraw from Frontex under these conditions.
Franco Farrugia
Feb 3rd 2010, 10:35
@ Igalea: 1. How old are you, sir? 2. Wishful thinking. 3. This is something that needs fighting for; at worst, get out of Frontex - not leaving the EU!
C.ZARB
Feb 3rd 2010, 10:30
http://www.simonbusuttil.eu/default.asp?cat=26&id=69&module=media&show=file
Well Done Simon. Thanks for the Frontex ferry boat service.
John Portelli
Feb 3rd 2010, 10:27
If Frontex is an anti -migration patrol organization,then why do we have over 10,000 migrants in Malta?? People of Malta PLEASE WAKE UP BEFORE IT'S WAY TOO LATE.
jimmy vella
Feb 3rd 2010, 10:26
Why is frontex called Anti migration patrol when its rules say to bring the immigrants to Europe.
The purpose of frontex has always been clear ,that is help as many migrants make it to Malta as possible .We should certainly not entertain any more of these illegals and deport the one`s that are here without any more delay.
lgalea
Feb 3rd 2010, 10:23
Let's get out of the eu before it destroys us and Malta completely.
mario borg
Feb 3rd 2010, 10:16
If we issued Maltese ID cards to the new arrivals I'm sure most of them would choose to go to the European mainland. This might even improve our say in the EU as the number of our citizens will increase dramatically!
D. Scerri
Feb 3rd 2010, 10:09
Simple solution: Frontex can clear off and AFM will not take calls originating from satellite phones. Oh, but before they go, Frontex can take the 10,000 odd klandestini roaming the streets trying to hawk all kinds of wooden 'artefacts'. There are plenty of these beggars walking up and down The Strand every day.