Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
New Frontex rules go through
Socialists instrumental in tilting vote on new Frontex rules
New rules of engagement for the EU's border patrol agency Frontex, which were opposed by Malta, will come into effect after an attempt to block them failed yesterday.
Justice and Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici, who has already declared that Malta had no intention to participate any longer in Frontex missions if the new rules were enforced, said last night the government would now be evaluating the situation following this latest development.
"However, Malta is not willing to shoulder any additional responsibility," Dr Mifsud Bonnici insisted.
The proposed Frontex guidelines had been approved by the European Commission and endorsed by the Council but a resolution approved by the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee last week attempted to block them.
The resolution was approved by 336 votes in favour, 253 against and 30 abstentions in a plenary session of the European Parliament yesterday but it was not enough for it to go through because a qualified majority of 369 members was needed.
All the four Maltese MEPs present voted to reject the rules and Labour MEP John Attard Montalto was absent.
According to the new rules, all irregular immigrants and asylum seekers saved on the high-seas during a Frontex mission have to be taken to the mission's host country rather than to the closest safe port. This means that if Malta hosts a Frontex mission in the future, as it has done in the past two years, it will have to take all the illegal immigrants found at sea.
Though almost all the major political forces in the EP supported Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil's suggestion to reject the rules, the Socialists, the second largest political group, backed the guidelines and were instrumental in tilting the vote.
Despite voting for a rejection and against their group's wishes, the vote of the two Maltese Labour MEPs was not enough to secure an absolute majority in favour of a rejection.
Labour's head of delegation, Louis Grech last week admitted that, despite trying, Malta's Labour delegation did not manage to persuade the rest of the Socialist group to reject the new rules.
The decision yesterday was received with dismay by Dr Busuttil, who lambasted his Labour colleagues.
In a statement, Dr Busuttil said the failure of the EP to reject the Frontex rules - just 33 votes short of the required majority - showed that the Labour Party was incapable of defending Malta's interests.
"We needed the Labour MEPs to persuade the Socialist Group to reject these rules, just like I did with my group. But they failed and were not even able to help us get another 33 votes," Dr Busuttil said.
Labour reacted to these comments later in the evening, pointing out that a "substantial number" of MEPs from the EPP group had also voted against the resolution blocking the new rules.
Efforts to contact Mr Grech were unsuccessful.
Dr Attard Montalto was also unavailable for comment.
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matthew tanti
Mar 26th 2010, 18:33
whilst agree that malta should refuse to host frontex under these rules, this does not in any way mean that we should refuse help to immigrants. and all those who call them illegal are not correct, as has been pointed out by various people time and again: if you come without a visa but apply for asylum, your stay is legal.
Daniel Zerafa
Mar 26th 2010, 18:15
Qisu donnu Il PN sab xi haga fl ahhar biex jattakka naqa l PL. U b daqsekk ninsew il problemi kollha li qed johloq huwa f pajjizini. L ahwa qumu minn hemm, l ewropej ma jimpurtahomx minna imma li juzawna biex insolvu problema ghalihom. Tinsewhx li kien hu il- PN ewlieni li ried is shubija fl UE u gabna fruntjiera tal UE.
Patrick Bellia
Mar 26th 2010, 17:51
@ Mario Attard
Prosit tal kumment sewwa qed tghid mija fil mija issa l lejla isma l ahbarijiet fis 19.30pm u fit 19.45pm u ara jkunux l istess, ma jaqblux ha jkunu zgur
Duncan Micallef
Mar 26th 2010, 17:51
xi hsibtu? li l ghaziza U.E. kienet ha taghtina dawk il flus biex namlu it toroq u progetti ohra ta xejn?? Veru tahsbu li ghandna nibqaw niccelebraw il festi ta jum l-indipendenza u ta jum il helsien???? Qas hadt ma jinteresak minnha,gejna il Maghtab tal Ewropa!! Ifirhu bil bnadar tal Ewropa...
lgalea
Mar 26th 2010, 17:40
To all those who are attacking the PL, if you were really patriotic and want to defend your country you do not attack the PL but support the government if it is not going to host AFFRONTEX. I call it AFFRONTEX because it is an AFFRONT by the eu to true Maltese citizens. If the government sticks to its word and does not host AFFRONTEX and does not accept any illegal immigrats it has my support and that of all patriotic Maltese citizens who do not want to see our beloved country invaded by illegal immigrats.
Nick Borg
Mar 26th 2010, 17:13
Can someone tell me WHY we need to host a Frontex mission?
If we dont we dont get subsidies... So what? We will be doing less so we need less...
It seems like the perfect opportunity to avoid having to take any immigrants...If we refuse to host we dont get any immigrants. Perfect!
Am I missing the point somewhere?
M Pace
Mar 26th 2010, 16:11
@James Dimech
Is it a conincidence that the illegals started coming to Malta as soon as we entered the EU, when before they used to go to spain via Marocc. May I ask you then how did the Labour Government in the 80s turn round a full Cargo ship of Albainians.
M.G. Farrugia
Mar 26th 2010, 15:32
Hbieb din hija it-tieni gabirjola li l-Moviment Socjalista Ewropej ipprova jaghti lil Malta f'temp ta fftit granet. L-ewwel wahda kienet li ppruvaw ihamgu lil Louis Galea waqt li kien qieghd jigi intervista, izda kien kollu ghalxejn issa b'din tal-frontex. Sa certu punt il-moviment socjalista ewropew irnexxilu, ghax is-socjalisti Maltin ma kienux perswassivi bizzejjed ma shabhom. Fl-ewropa nies bhal Simon Busutill irrid ikollha Malta u xejn izjed.
angelo baldacchino
Mar 26th 2010, 15:14
Daqs kemm ftahar Dr Busuttil li kien dahhal lill Malta fil-Frontex, isssa qed iwahhal fl-ohrajn ghax ma kkonvincewx lill shabhom bhalu, biex jivvutaw bhalu. Mela bahri tal-bnazzi iehor dan, meta jigi l-maltemp naraw fuq minn ser nitfghu it-tort, l-aqwa li ma jkunx fuqna.
Mario Attard
Mar 26th 2010, 15:13
Reading the comments below, one clearly sees that partisan politics only causes this tiny population to be divided. That is why I have always claimed that partisan politics is a curse. Even on serious matters such as illegal migration people still try turn it into a PN, PL fight. When will we be mature enough to tackle such important issues as one people? We're a mere 400,000 people while illegal migration has the potential of millions wanting to cross over into Europe! And guess who's right in the middle of this invasion? The season of illegal migration by sea is back and it will affect us all, not just PN or PL supporters!
James Dimech
Mar 26th 2010, 15:10
@C ZARB and lgalea
We cannot send immigrants back due the UN 1951 Geneva Convention and the law of "non-refoulment" not because of the Dublin II. All civilized countries are signatories of this Convention. Dublin II only lays down that for EU purposes, asylum proceedings should be taken up in the Member State where the immigrants land first. Something which would have happened anyway even if we were out of the EU because even then we would have nowhere else to send the immigrants that would have landed here anyway.
Stop misinterpreting the law. You should just admit that even though we are all fed up of PN locally, through its EP delegation PL has once again proved itself to be the incompetent farce it always has been.
C.ZARB
Mar 26th 2010, 16:18
@ Mr Debono.
As I said, the UN conventions oblige us to save immigrants and not to send them back but it never obliged us to force them to stay in Malta whether they liked it or not. Immigrants were saved, taken to Malta and then they were free to go to main land Europe whenever it pleased them. That is what immigrants used to do. They would come to Malta, then leave our island and go to mainland Europe. Go and check what former UNCHR representive Henry Frendo said about the Dublin treaty back in 2007. While at it, check who signed the Dublin treaty on our behalf. You would impressed to see that it was not the socialists.
lgalea
Mar 26th 2010, 16:57
James, the principle of non-refoulment only applies when they are really in danger, but they are not. To claim asylum they have to do it in the first country they enter. None of them came here directly and the Refugee Appeal Board Report stated categorically that more than 99% had been living for up to 10 years in Libya where they were in no danger. SO they should either be sent back to Libya or to their own countries. Those who like you continue to bury their head in the sand and defending the illegal immigrats and their illegalities are only exacerbating the problem and encouraging more of them to come here to live like leeches on OUR taxes. Do you expect us to take and allow to remain here the potential millions of Africans that may make it here?
All civilized countries have signed the convention? Go see for yourself that other countries have made all sorts of reservations including ones in the eu. If we were out of the eu we could just point them back to Libya and not allow them to land. It is the eu and Dublin II convention that are keeping them here.
sean grima
Mar 27th 2010, 08:36
i have repeatedly stated that what you are saying is not true - the 1951 restrictions were removed in a 1967 protocol. the EU has nothing to do with it.
J Farrugia
Mar 26th 2010, 14:18
mario ellul kif ghandek il-wicc tost li twahhal f'Simon Busuttil meta l-istess MEP ghamel hiltu kollha u RNEXXIELU JIKKONVINCI LIL SHABU tal-partiti demokratici biex jivvuttaw favur Malta u kontra l-mozzjoni. Kienu l-labour shabek li minkejja li huma vvutaw bhal Simon Busuttil, ma rnexxilhomx jikkonvincu lil shabhom ewropej, IS-SOCJALISTI, biex jivvutaw favur Malta u kontra l-Mozzjoni. Ghax is-socjalisti mal-ewropa kollha dejjem hekk - favur dak kollu li huwa hazin u illegali. Is-socjalisti dejjem ikissru l-pajjiz riedu u hekk ghamlu kull meta jkunu fil-gvern.
Joseph Sammut
Mar 26th 2010, 14:07
Glad to hear that Malta is not joining frontex,hope the goverment wont give up,how can they justify that Malta takes all the illegal emigrants,Malta should send them all back like italy did,if not I sugest Malta to come out of europe, which was a bigmistake in the begining
mario gellel
Mar 26th 2010, 14:02
@James Dimech
Not only are the PN guilty for this "Balbuljata" but now they have brought Malta in a "Kawlata".
M Cassat
Mar 26th 2010, 12:55
@g.c.Forte and Louise Vella ...they won't need to claim asylum, most here rarely did. They were illegally here yet they remained here. Now they're setting up an office/agency
MEMO 5 Ponsonby Street Gzira GZR 1026 Malta
and in Sliema :-
45 Regent House, Bisazza Street Sliema SLM 15 - Malta - they're looking for workers hehe
all details on the internet for all to see on the website.
It's not just Malta working against us. It's Eu.
http://www.maltamobility.org/
Getting the picture now. They might close Frontex but they won't stop Memo it's an Eu initiative. So my next vote for Eu (hope we get one more chance) will be to pull this country out of Eu and win back our sovereignity and border control.
g.c.Forte
Mar 26th 2010, 17:33
I think that you wanted to answer somebody else, and not me. But, I wish to make a comment on what you said. I am a pensioner, but still active. I have voted a big NO to join the E.U. and if I have to vote again for one million times I still vote NO. The only Yes I vote is to get out. We came the carpet of Europe, and I strongly believe that if this arrogant government is not going to change his political strategy, we are going to end up like Mr. Flamini said. " The main European Camp for refuges ". I have nothing against these people, because, we all started from where they are coming.........some 75000 years ago. The whole point is that the government is too soft ,and the E.U. are abusing from his weakness. The government should address the U.K. Italy, France ,Germany, Holland, Belgium, Portugal and those other European countries that they conquered their countries took their belongings, left them stupid enough, not to civilize themselves and live in a democratic life. So they escape to find a better future.
James Dimech
Mar 26th 2010, 12:43
@ mario gellel
PN has nothing to do with this "balbuljata". Illegal immigrants were going to cross the med and end up in Malta anyway even with PL in government. So stop getting so worked up for nothing
@C. ZARB
we are obliged to take up illegal immigrants anyway under the UN 1951Convention. So Dublin has nothing to do with it at this stage.
Charles Sammut
Mar 26th 2010, 12:55
The Dublin II treaty obliges countries where illegal immigrants first set foot to keep them. If any illegal immigrants who have arrived first in Malta, are caught elsewhere in Europe, they are sent back to Malta.
That is why they are all fingerprinted and those fingerprint records sent to all European states. Hardly a day passes without deportees form various European countries, arriving back in Malta.
Schengen does not apply to illegal immigrants.
C.ZARB
Mar 26th 2010, 13:01
@ James Dimech. We were obliged to rescue immigrants at sea but we were not obliged to force them to stay here or accept them back if they are caught in Europe illegally. Now considering that many immigrants would rather be in mainland Europe then in Malta, then you can easily conclude that this problem was created mainly because our country signed the dreadful Dublin II treaty.
Now go and check who had signed that treaty for us in the first place. A small hint, it wasn't the socialists.
lgalea
Mar 26th 2010, 14:40
No James, we are not obliged to take all illegal immigrants under the refugee convention. When Malta had signed the refugee convention, Dr Gorg Borg Olivier had made reservations that Malta will only accept refugees from Europe. The eu forced the PN government to withdraw the reservations and apply the eu Dublin Convention. These are facts that can be checked James and no use trying to deceive the people. It is because of the eu and t-its Dublin II Convention that we are lumping all the illegal immigrants. Leave the eu, reintroduce the reservations or repeal our membership of the refugee convention because it is being abused left right and centre and all our illegal immigrants problems will be solved because none would be able to claim asylum or subsidiary protection.
sean grima
Mar 26th 2010, 18:29
@lgalea: your speaking untruths. the EU did not force us to do anything: the 1951 limitations were removed in a 1967 protocol
R Dimech
Mar 26th 2010, 12:41
Under the new rules, which country will be willing to host Frontex missions if it means it will have to take in all illegals picked up in the Med? If no country comes forward, will Frontex be unable to operate? And then, in the absence of Frontex operations, when we protest that we (along with Italy) are being lumped with the problem, the EU will respond that its our fault, cause we have not hosted Frontex?!? Macchiavelli at his best.....!
Unless its terms of reference are to repulse illegal entry into Europe, Frontex is a joke and simply a ferry service.
g.c.Forte
Mar 26th 2010, 12:39
Yesterday..............................." E.B. Approves MEP. Edward Scicluna on ECB "......................Today.............." New Frontex rules go through "...............MEP Simon Busutill, don`t you think that you need some lessons from Profs Scicluna, of how to convince.
wally vella-zarb
Mar 26th 2010, 12:22
Perhaps now Simon Busuttil, the 'epitome of persuasive gurus', would now be so kind as to apply his supreme persuasive skills and manage to persuade his EPP cronies - over whom he would have us believe that he has so much influence - to put substance to his government's idea of voluntary burden-sharing and rid these islands of all the illegal immigrants once and for all? At the end of the day, this is what matters to most of us.
I, for one, will not be holding my breath.
C.ZARB
Mar 26th 2010, 12:21
Well done Simon. Pls tell them also who was in government when Malta signed the Dublin treaty which doomed us to this current situation in the first place. Oh wait!
M Cassar
Mar 26th 2010, 12:18
Don't you people get it.? It won't matter, they won't pass from the window (asylum as illegals), they will be brought to you thru the door itself as legals.
http://www.maltamobility.org/
PN - Catch them if you can...Who do you think you're fooling, talking about national security on tv?
I know where my vote will go. To anyone who listens and acts against this utter madness and deceit. People do not be fooled! We've been fooled too many times.
sandro pace
Mar 26th 2010, 12:13
PL failed to convince Socialist MEPs in voting against this proposal.
The Maltese Government failed to convince the EU Commission, the main driver and supporter of this proposal, to even put it on the agenda.
Who is failing who? Local petty political squabbles will depict the ineffectiveness of the Maltese PL MEPs. But it is not the true problem. They did their part.
The main problem is the discontinous EU Commission, which despite pre-referendum false promises and lies by its supporters, it forever remains unwilling to recognise our disproportionate problem or show any solidarity.
This is a government failure. It also shows that the EU Commission wants to destroy Frontex.
mario gellel
Mar 26th 2010, 12:03
KIF GHANDU IL-WICC TOST DAN SIMON BUSUTIL JAKKUZA LIL MEP LABURISTI BI TRADIMENT META KIEN L-ISTESS PARTIT NAZJONALISTA LI HU JIFFORMA PARTI MINNU LI DAHHALNA F'DIN BALBULJATA??? VERA IL-PARTIT NAZJONALISTA MA FADDALLUX ZEJT F'WICCU...
Louise Vella
Mar 26th 2010, 12:01
Instead of squabbling between PN and PL this national problem calls for all Maltese to be united in rejecting attempts to make us take on a heavier burden and larger numbers of illegal immigrants. We should not allow Malta to become the dumping ground of the central Mediterranean, and we should tell the Swede Cecilia Malmstrom, who is behind these FRONTEX rules, to take the illegal immigrants to her native Sweden. The kind of FRONTEX we want is a robust coastguard pushing back the boats to their point of origin. Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants are congregating in Libya and Ghaddafi can use them as a weapon to punish Malta and Italy and the rest of Europe. The EU must defend Malta to defend itself.
Joseph Agius
Mar 26th 2010, 11:56
Thank you Socialists! when it come to issues that matter, they always let us down!
M Pace
Mar 26th 2010, 11:40
why all the fuss, unless our beloved GonziPN Government has signed an agreement to be the sole country to host Frontex missions we could easily opt out and be relieved of this burden.
By the way no wonder we are in such a sorry state when we have quite a number of Maltese voting for people like Casa and Attard Montaldo.
J Farrugia
Mar 26th 2010, 11:30
Let's put the records strait - it was the socialists movements throughout europe who wanted tiny Malta to absorb all illegal immigrants from Athens to Marocco. Dont try to pin the blame on Simon Busuttil or David Casa. These two succeeded in persuading their democratic parties to vote in favour of MALTA, while Louis Grech is on record stating that HIS labour party did not convince his SOCIALIST ALLIES in EP to vote in favour of MALTA. So who is the treacherous political grouping which is working against Malta's interests? The socialist friends of the Malta Labour Party. And the stupid maltese people award the Labour Party with 4 EP seats. Hu poplu ghax hekk haqqek. Imma fl-istess hin, il-gvern lest li ma jippartecipax fl-ebda missjoni FRONTEX biex ma jilghabx kontra l-interess nazzjonali. U hekk ghandhu jkun.
Karen Micallef
Mar 26th 2010, 11:22
PL is affiliated to the Socialists and it is the Socialists which tilted the vote against us as this article says. This simply means that our PL MEPs either did not do their job or else have no say and wield no power within their party. There are no excuses Mr Grech. The point is not how you voted. The point is that you did not stop the party you represent from lumping us with this mess as you had the duty to do in the first place.
Ramon Casha
Mar 26th 2010, 11:20
I hope that the Maltese government has already formally informed Frontex officials that Malta is, with immediate effect, no longer hosting it.
J.Tonna
Mar 26th 2010, 11:17
If the EU had it its way we should do the same - as regards illegal immmigrants.
Mark Galea
Mar 26th 2010, 11:13
PL in Malta should make its allegiencies clear, especially with the European Socialists !
Joanne Micallef
Mar 26th 2010, 11:08
I hope the goverment will not give in and will refuse entry to any illegal immigrants that do not normally fall under Malta's responsibility
Melvyn Borg
Mar 26th 2010, 10:43
L-aqwa li tal-Labour ivvutaw lil Joseph Cuschieri ghax ceda postu lil Joseph Muscat. U li tellghu lil Attard Montalto ghax ghax gustuz. U l-aqwa li ma vvutawx lil MEPs Nazzjonalisti minhabba l-kont tad-dawl u l-ilma.
The Maltese decided to send a PL majority to represent us in the European Parliament and one decent PN MEP who decided to take the brunt of all this on his own but did not make it. Now the Maltese are getting what they deserve.
John Zarb
Mar 26th 2010, 10:33
Check out how the Socialists are flaunting about having lumped us with more illegal immigrants and lambasting the "conservatives" who tried to defend Malta:
http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/gpes/public/detail.htm?id=133946&section=NER&category=NEWS&startpos=2&topicid=-1&request_locale=EN
When it comes to the proof, Labour is useless. Joseph Muscat and his team are typically all noise and no substance.
R Dimech
Mar 26th 2010, 10:23
(with tongue in cheek) Why should this worry us? OK, so by not hosting Frontex missions we won't benefit from material aid, subsidies etc. We won't be needing them anyway since if we ensure that illegal immigrants 'distress' calls are directed to Frontex vessels because our own assets are somehow unavailable (due to lack of funds leading to unserviceability and lack of fuel) we can just stand by and watch 'rescued' boat people being taken to the host country. Malta will obviously coordinate operations as is her obligation but our assets will only be deployed in cases of genuine maritime and air accidents.
The EU needs to be taught a lesson that we are no pushovers.