The Prime Minister came under fire from NGOs and the Green Party yesterday over his tough rhetoric on irregular immigration.
Joseph Muscat had earlier reiterated that Malta was “undoubtedly” willing to use its EU veto on unrelated issues if member states did not show more solidarity over the influx of asylum seekers.
“Malta is ready to take all measures available like any other country would. We are sending an early warning that Malta’s capacity is limited and we cannot do much more on our own,” Dr Muscat said.
He also said Malta may consider sending asylum seekers intercepted at sea back to Libya, if the circumstances were different to the rescue of 291 migrants by the Armed Forces of Malta on Wednesday.
Nine NGOs yesterday issued a press release saying that returning forced migrants to Libya or failing to rescue them from sinking boats would put them at serious risk of inhuman and degrading treatment and could endanger their lives.
We cannot do much more on our own
They pointed out that the Court of Appeal last week ruled that the forced return of two Somali nationals to Libya in 2004 violated their human rights.
“It is tragically clear from countless reports that they will be in serious danger if returned (to Libya),” the NGOs said, adding that human rights agencies have documented instances of deportation, torture and ill treatment of migrants held indefinitely in Libyan detention centres.
The statement was signed by Aditus foundation, Jesuit Refugee Service (Malta), Migrants’ Network for Equality, SOS Malta, Malta Emigrants’ Commission, KOPIN, Integra Foundation, Foundation for Shelter and Support of Migrants and Organisation for Friendship in Diversity.
Alternattiva Demokratika joined in the chorus of disapproval, saying Dr Muscat’s “macho attitude is good for certain banana republics but not for civilised countries.”
Malta should insist the EU engages in responsibility sharing, solidarity in practice and revising the Dublin Convention, but sending migrants back to Libya was a “no-go area”, the Greens said.
Last month, the EU adopted a common asylum policy that did not include a mechanism for the mandatory relocation of refugees and asylum seekers to other EU states.
The principle enshrined in the Dublin II regulations that puts the onus of responsibility on the EU country the asylum seeker first enters was retained.
Speaking yesterday, the Prime Minister said the solidarity he was looking for could take the form of compulsory burden sharing, but he laid emphasis on helping Libya to manage its southern borders.
Aware NGOs would criticise a push-back policy, he said: “We cannot accept any more a situation in which Malta is expected to cope by itself at all costs.
“If others do not want to recognise the nature of this problem, they’ll have to understand through other means.”
Dr Muscat was blunt when asked by a journalist about a statement by EU Commissioner Cecilia Malmström that the numbers of asylum seekers arriving in Malta were not sufficient to trigger mandatory burden sharing.
Ms Malmström should propose Sweden takes asylum seekers from Malta if that was so, he replied.
It was later confirmed the journalist was referring to a comment made by the Swedish EU Home Affairs Commissioner in 2011, when she was asked about possibly triggering the Temporary Assistance Directive, created in 2001 but never utilised.
Ms Malmström’s spokesman said the Commission does not respond to political statements.
He would not say if the Commission had received specific requests from Malta for additional assistance in coping with irregular migration.
This year, the Commission has allocated Malta €1.147 million for refugees, €604,321 for integration, €820,511 for returns and €21 million for policing and protecting its external borders.