Plans by Frontex to launch an anti-migration mission in the Mediterranean in November has been met with scepticism by observers and complete silence by the government in Malta.
Following a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday between Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and Italy’s Interior Minster Angelino Alfano on the migration crisis in the Med, the Commission announced its intention to launch a new mission, called Frontex Plus, to assist the Italian navy in its ongoing operation Mare Nostrum.
Although Italy has interpreted the decision as a sign that it will be able to stop its €300,000-a-day mission come November to allow Frontex to take over, sources in Brussels told Times of Malta this would not be the case.
“Our aim is to complement the Italian mission and not to replace it. The commissioner was very clear about this.
“It is then up to the Italians to decide whether they want to continue with their mission or stop it,” the sources said.
The Italians started Mare Nostrum last October following another tragedy in which tens of migrants died off the coasts of Lampedusa. Since then, Rome has accused the EU of leaving Italy to do it alone and threatened to stop the mission.
Mission depends on assets made available by the individual member states
Malta benefited from Mare Nostrum as the flow of irregular migrants almost stopped.
Despite the Commission’s plans, EU officials in Brussels are very wary of committing themselves on the new mission knowing that its success completely depends on the willingness of member states.
“Frontex has neither the tools nor the funds to take up this mission alone. All we can do is coordinate and organise.
“At the end of the day, the mission completely depends on the assets made available by the individual member states,” one official told this newspaper yesterday.
Despite the fact that the EU mission is in Malta’s direct interest, the government yesterday did not react to the announcement.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister did not reply when asked to declare whether Malta would be willing to participate.
In the past years, Malta repeatedly called on the EU to step in and patrol the sea between Libya, Sicily and Malta to watch out for irregular migrants and to offer assistance to those in distress.
Malta used to take part in Frontex-led missions by making available vessels, aircraft and personnel from the Armed Forces of Malta. This was stopped following a change in the rules of engagement when it was decided that the country hosting such a mission had to take responsibility for the migrants rescued at sea.