European countries’ failure to follow through on their pledge to resettle 160,000 Syrian refugees was “extremely disappointing,” Foreign Minister George Vella said in parliament this evening.

The agreement was thrashed out in September last year and involved refugees being resettled in all EU states, proportional to their size. As part of the plan, Malta had agreed to take in almost 70 people.

Malta has so far taken in about half that, 35, but other EU states have been far less forthcoming. Of the 160,000 in need of relocation, no more than 700 have been resettled as part of the plan.

“It’s a pittance,” Dr Vella admitted in parliament. “It’s extremely disappointing after the energy it took to get countries to agree to the plan. Clearly there’s a lack of political will,” he conceded.

The Foreign Minister was critical of some of the more controversial migration control measures implemented by east EU border states. “Some of these measures – fences, walls, barbed wire – are even more serious,” Dr Vella said. “These countries should be reminded of their obligations.”