New Frontex rules 'work against interest of migrants'

The new Frontex rules went against common sense and the interest of migrants at sea, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi insisted yesterday, saying this was why Malta would not participate unless they were changed.

He reiterated Malta's stance against the new European border control guidelines, which would require migrants at sea to be taken to the mission's host country rather than to the closest safe port.

Dr Gonzi said it didn't make sense for a boat of migrants who needed assistance, located 15 minutes away from Lampedusa, to be forced to make the three hour journey to Malta just because the Frontex operation was based here.

"Malta's position is clear: this rule doesn't make sense for Malta and in relation to our values and common sense. And because it doesn't make sense, before the next Frontex operation we'll still sit down and hold discussions. If this rule is amended - and the rules permit this to happen - then Malta will participate. If they insist on retaining this rule, I'm sorry, but Malta will not take part," Dr Gonzi said.

Dr Gonzi was speaking in a public meeting in Senglea, replying to questions put forward by journalist Norman Vella.

A resolution put forward by the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Commission to block the new Frontex guidelines did not go through last Thursday since it did not garner the 369 votes needed. This was because the Socialists and Democrats group backed the guidelines and tilted the vote against Malta.

On this point, Dr Gonzi lambasted Labour's MEPs for not convincing their political group to vote in favour of the resolution, which was in Malta's best interest.

He also made reference to a statement issued by the Socialists and Democrats on Thursday which said the vote "puts to an end any further misinterpretations and stops the passing of the buck among EU governments".

The Labour Party had referred to Malta and Italy's abstention on a vote taken in the Council of Ministers.

Dr Gonzi defended the abstention saying Malta's position was one that would give Malta the right to negotiate its position ad hoc in every operation.

In the same political meeting, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech was asked whether €152 a week, the minimum wage, was enough for someone to live on.

Mr Fenech said this wasn't an easy problem to solve, since raising the minimum wage would result in increasing social benefits as the two were correlated. The higher social benefits would mean that people would still not have an incentive to work, as by doing nothing they would be earning precious less than the minimum wage.

The answer, Mr Fenech said, was to work "to get better jobs, have competition in the market so people can choose higher paying jobs". He pointed out that the minimum wage issue only cropped up in times of economic instability.

Dr Gonzi also spoke against full-time workers being forced to register as self-employed, meaning they wouldn't be entitled to basic workers' rights such as leave and sick leave.

The prime minister also defended the new parliamentary assistant scheme, ignoring accusations that it was to quieten the discontent among backbenchers but saying it was a decision taken to tap into the potential of the Nationalist parliamentary group.

Beppe Fenech Adami, one of the new parliamentary assistants, said the pairings between ministries and parliamentary assistants were well thought out. "I think this experiment will work," Dr Fenech Adami said, adding it was a concept which already existed in other countries and worked to varying degrees.

Dr Gonzi also answered a question about Salvu Gauci, a convicted murderer who was terminally ill with cancer. He said that the procedure for a presidential pardon was very complex. However, Mr Gauci's terms of imprisonment could possibly be changed in view of his condition, Dr Gonzi said.