(Adds meeting with Opposition leader)

EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom this afternoon expressed concerns about "the systematic use of detention of irregular immigrants" by Malta and said the island needed to address this problem.

Addressing a press conference at the offices of the European Asylum and Support Office in Valletta, Commissioner Malmstrom said Malta must work harder to address the detention policy problems and make sure that unaccompanied migrants were treated well.

The commissioner acknowledged that Malta made major improvements over the past years in updating its migration policies and the commission would continue to support the island, she said.

Commissioner Malmstrom said criticism that Malta had been left alone and was not given any support was unjust and far from the truth.

She said that over the past years the Commission gave Malta generous support, particularly financial, and would keep doing so.

She acknowledged that member states still lacked real solidarity and had to do more to help countries in need. She remarked, however, that northern countries were still the member states that received most asylum seekers.

Commissioner Malmstrom said that she is meeting a number of ministers during her short visit to Malta but was unable to meet Home affairs minister Manuel Mallia as "he is away from the island".

Photo: Paul Spiteri Lucas

Following the press conference, Commissioner Malmstrom had a meeting with Opposition leader Simon Busuttil.

Dr Busuttil called for an EU migration policy based on “dignity” for all parties involved and appealed for the EU to deal with the migration issue in a “dignified manner”.

Greeting Commissioner Malmström as a former colleague and said migration remained a challenge.

“The EU policy on migration should be guided by the principle of dignity: dignity for the migrants and dignity for the countries who received and struggle with the wave of migrants – not just Malta but also countries such as Italy.”

He called for dignity for the migrants’ countries of origin as well as for the EU.

The EU, he continued, should act as a union and should deal with the issue in a dignified manner.

Commissioner Malmstrom also had a meeting with Civil Liberties Minister Helena Dalli.