Malta needs to be more active in European fora dealing with illegal immigration, the Labour spokesman on home affairs, Michael Falzon, said today.

In a statement following the arrival of 246 migrants last Friday, Dr Falzon said this episode showed how immigration remained a real problem for the country.

He expressed concern that only 4% of arrivals were transferred to other European countries , saying this showed how solidarity by other European countries was seriously lacking. It showed, he said, how voluntary burden sharing had been a failure.

In a reply, the PN said it was proud that the Maltese armed forces had saved the life of 246 persons, and in times like this it did not come out complaining on the burden of immigration, as the PL had done.

But Dr Falzon was following the PL's trademark policy of being populist and trying to score political points from everything.

The PN insisted that other countries had a duty to share immigration with Malta but said that the country's overriding aim should be to save lives.