Justice and Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici is hoping Italy’s admission that it was responsible for rescuing the migrants whose boat capsized close to Lampedusa will end the squabbling between both countries.
Malta “took note” of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s admission, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said when asked whether he expected further disagreements with the Italians over migration.
In a tragedy that happened two weeks ago, some 250 migrants are believed to have died at sea after their boat capsized in the presence of Italian coast guard ships. Italian Home Affairs Minister Roberto Maroni had claimed Malta refused to rescue the migrants even though they were in the Maltese search and rescue area.
The government had denied the accusations insisting Malta acted in line with international laws when it directed the Italians to the migrants’ boat because it was closer to Lampedusa.
The incident led to something of a tit-for-tat, with Italy later blocking entry to a Maltese patrol boat that had just rescued 171 migrants in seas closer to Lampedusa than Malta. On a visit to Lampedusa last week, Mr Berlusconi admitted it had been Italy’s duty to rescue the migrants involved in the tragedy.
“We have to assess the situation on a day by day basis... but I hope these matters are a closed case,” Dr Mifsud Bonnici said yesterday.
He was speaking at a press conference where he gave an overview of his ministry’s work last year.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici defended Malta’s stand of voting in favour of the final text at the EU Council of Ministers’ meeting last week even though the request to activate the emergency burden sharing mechanism was turned down. The Council, however, agreed to extend the burden sharing pilot project aimed at assisting Malta, a voluntary mechanism to which few countries had contributed.
On Saturday, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said Malta should not have accepted the final text and accused the government of being weak, suggesting Malta should hand the 171 migrants over to Italy.
“I voted in favour as did Italy... but the EU has noted Malta’s difficulty and things have started to move,” Dr Mifsud Bonnici said, adding that Germany had sent inspectors to screen prospective refugees who would be taken in by that country.
Flustered by the criticism that the government was weak, he insisted there were times when Malta was alone in putting forward its arguments on migration in the EU.
Asked to justify the government’s criticism of Dr Muscat’s heavy-handed comments on migration when Malta had in the past condoned Italy’s push-back policy, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the circumstances were different. He insisted that when Italy and Libya reached an agreement to immediately repatriate migrants rescued at sea, Libya was a stable country.
“Today’s migration flow is different. We have people escaping a civil war and this cannot be ignored,” he said.
Speaking about his ministry’s remit, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the police will shortly install new DNA analysis equipment. It will be linked to an EU database giving the police access to a multitude of foreign-held databases.
The ministry’s report for 2010 shows that the crime rate rose by 11 per cent over the previous year, mostly as a result of more petty theft last summer perpetrated by foreigners. Cases of domestic violence also rose by 21 per cent but this was attributed to greater awareness of what constituted domestic violence. Computer-related crimes increased dramatically by 66 per cent.
The minister also announced the publication of a Bill outlining civil and moral damages more than a year after a first draft was made public.
The Bill will, for the first time, put down in black and white a set of guidelines for compensation awarded for specific disabilities, such as loss of limbs and organs or even the triggering of conditions such as epilepsy.
Compensation for any form of disability suffered in an accident is being capped at €600,000.
It is published in today’s Government Gazette.