Former Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici yesterday accused the government of "anti-constitutional" behaviour and urged it to immediately withdraw Malta's membership from the "deficient" Schengen agreement.

"Our country has been colonised anew," he said, claiming that Malta's membership of the EU and Schengen had weakened the country's independence and neutrality, enshrined in the Constitution.

The Schengen agreement allows passport-free travel between 26 European countries, including some non-EU states.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici, the Eurosceptic leader of the Campaign for National Independence, argued that Malta should not leave its fate in the hands of other countries.

The Schengen agreement was flawed because it did not make sense for a decision taken by one country to bind all the other countries without consensus.

Referring to the diplomatic spat between Libya and Switzerland, he said the Maltese authorities had not acted promptly enough, leaving hundreds of families worrying about their livelihoods.

"Malta is bound by the actions taken by one country. This time it was Switzerland. But next time any other of the 26 countries can take a capricious decision, which we will have to abide by," he said.

Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg has declared that unless there were any developments this week, he would propose during a meeting of EU foreign ministers on March 22 that Schengen countries that felt Switzerland had acted incorrectly should disregard the blacklist.

Last month, Libya stopped issuing entry visas to citizens of most European countries after Switzerland barred entry to 188 Libyan officials, including leader Muammar Gaddafi and his family.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici argued that Switzerland was abusing of Schengen because the agreement between 26 countries was meant for security purposes not retaliation.

He said it was obvious Libya would retaliate to the Swiss blacklist and had Malta been in the Libyan position it would have done the same.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici insisted Malta should revert to the pre-2004 position of allowing visa-free travel between Libya and Malta, a factor that would also boost tourism.

Meanwhile, he criticised the government for sending members of the Armed Forces of Malta to participate in EU and Nato-led military missions, the latest being plans for participation in the Somalia anti-piracy operation.

"The EU is building an army," he said, but Malta's Constitution stressed neutrality and non-alignment.

He quoted a British NGO which claimed Somali pirates were directly retaliating against the Western world for illegal toxic dumping and fishing going on in Somalia.

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