Asylum Office established in Malta

I have to share this with you because it was a memorable experience. Last Sunday I attended the opening ceremony of the EU agency in Malta. It is the EU agency for refugees and it is known as the European Asylum Support Office, or EASO. You may have heard about it in the news.

It was held at the Upper Barrakka Gardens overlooking the spectacular Grand Harbour where barely seven years ago thousands of us congregated to celebrate Malta’s EU accession.

This time round the occasion was modest and sober. But no less memorable: Because it bore all traits of what it means to be in the Union and, therefore, it was heavy with symbolism.

So what if the EU opens an agency here in Malta, you might ask.

Who cares?

You should. Here are some reasons why.

The opening of an EU agency reminds us that we are now firmly rooted in the European family of nations and that we are on the map. For a country of less than half a million and one of the several small islands across Europe, this is no mean feat. We should be proud of it because other islands with populations even larger than ours have not quite made it thus far.

Secondly, Malta is just the second EU member state among those that joined in 2004 to host an EU agency after Poland became the seat of the Frontex agency some years ago. This is remarkable and it says a lot about the negotiating prowess of the Maltese government that managed to beat stiff competition from other countries and secure the necessary support to bring it to Malta. And it flies in the face of those who speciously claim that we are weak at the EU negotiating table.

Thirdly, the agency brings a concrete, visible benefit of EU membership right home where everyone can see it. The agency brings prestige to our country but it will also bring a handsome financial return in terms of a multi-million euro budget agency that will leave benefits to our economy, not least through a staff of over 100 well-paid EU officials based in Malta. In brief, quite a little industry on its own at one fell stroke.

Fourthly, the agency will deal with a subject where we have first-hand experience – dealing with people seeking international protection, namely asylum seekers, refugees and people who qualify for other types of (subsidiary) protection.

Now we all know that, over the past decade, Malta hosted some 15,000 people, most of whom were saved at sea. Many of them sought international protection. This experience has obliged us to organise ourselves to cope with the situation where previously (and as always) only the Church was active. Not that we are fully up to scratch. But we have certainly come a long way.

So this agency is directly relevant to our recent experience and it can help us in two ways.

It can help because it will be responsible for getting EU countries to pursue a truly common European asylum policy and then to implement this common policy by getting EU countries to cooperate together and assist each other.

And it can help us because it will also take over the running of EU initiatives intended to support countries, like ours, that face disproportionate migratory flows.

Thus, for instance, EASO can take over the implementation of the EU’s relocation pilot project for Malta and, as a focused and specialised agency, it stands a better chance of making it work better than it has so far. That is very much in our interest. In a way, therefore, this agency, will bolster the solidarity that we have long insisted for.

Not that EASO will solve everything – as Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström pointedly reminded those who still think that this is a piece of cake, “there is no way that the Commission can force member states to take refugees. The only thing we can do is encourage them”.

But, as the specialised EU agency in this area, EASO can now take these efforts one step forward by establishing a closer cooperation among the authorities that deal specifically with these issues in all EU countries.

In this sense, therefore, the presence of this agency in Malta is another important step forward in entrenching solidarity in the area of immigration and asylum. This is not insignificant.

Last Sunday all these thoughts flashed across my mind as the newly-appointed executive director of the agency, Robert Visser, invited Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Commissioner Malmström to unveil the EASO logo that depicts an EU shield for those seeking protection.

The event was attended by dozens of dignitaries who flew in purposely for the occasion from all over the EU.

Other important actors, such as representatives of international organisations and activists from NGOs, were also present. But I missed the presence of refugees themselves which is a pity since, after all, it was their day more than anyone else’s.

We should be proud to welcome this agency in Malta.

www.simonbusuttil.eu

Dr Busuttil is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.