Malta’s moment of truth on EU immigration policy is fast approaching. The summit of EU leaders takes place in less than a fortnight in Brussels and the Prime Minister has long raised expectations that what he termed “solutions to the illegal immigration crisis” will be forthcoming “by December”.

The auguries are not encouraging. A set of proposals published by the European Commission on December 4 has left in abeyance the centre-piece of Malta’s proposals for an effective, mandatory burden-sharing scheme and reallocation of asylum seekers among EU member states. A number of other proposals made by the Prime Minister have only partially been addressed.

As always with EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, on a subject as sensitive and politically fraught as irregular immigration she finds herself handicapped by the need to reconcile widely divergent views among 28 sovereign states, each with a different perception and experience of migration.

The result of the deliberations of the Task Force for the Mediterranean which has been considering the issue is inevitably a race to the bottom lowest common denominator. Its proposals are high on words but short on action.

Thus, on the return of asylum seekers to their country of origin, the Commission said it would “enter into further negotiations”. Return to the country of origin would only be on a “voluntary” basis, however, and migrants would not be sent back to transit countries.

The Commission is, however, offering to throw more money at countries “with high migratory pressures” as a mark of “solidarity”. Frontex maritime patrols will be boosted from April to help save lives in the Mediterranean, but no indication is given about which country will be made responsible for receiving migrants saved at sea – an issue of some sensitivity to Malta as the southern-most frontline state.

However, the major deficiencies of the Commission’s proposals lie in their failure to address – except in the vaguest terms – the five central issues on which Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had placed considerable importance.

These are, first, the lack of a firm timeframe for EU countries to share responsibility for irregular immigrants equitably among all member states. Secondly, the need for the EU to establish new legal means of migration to Europe to bring some order to the situation. Third, the establishment of asylum systems closer to the countries of origin. Fourth, the speedy repatriation of failed asylum seekers to their country of origin. And fifth, closer coordination with Libya to prevent irregular migrants leaving their shores for Europe.

Given Malta’s vulnerable geographical position and the disproportionate burden which it has borne for more than a decade, the Prime Minister’s demands for action are not unreasonable. The rather tepid proposals made by the Commission are therefore most disappointing.

This places greater pressure on the Prime Minister to ensure that, when he meets with other EU leaders on December 19 and 20, he obtains a more solid commitment, with concrete measures to match, to share Malta’s burden.

Simply “encouraging” other member states “to increase their commitment on resettlement” on a voluntary basis is effectively to reinforce failure. This is unacceptable. It is a policy which has failed to deliver any tangible relief to the excessive burden placed on Malta.

It is about time that EU member states demonstrated a greater willingness and vision to share the burden more fairly and to take positive strategic steps on an issue which ultimately touches all of them.

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