Leader of the Opposition Simon Busuttil yesterday questioned Government policy on migration which he claimed was ‘unclear’ because it had taken three different positions since March.

The Government had first wanted to resort to push-backs, and was stopped. The second case was when the Government, rightly, refused entry to migrants who had been rescued outside Malta’s rescue zone by the ship Salamis.

Then last week, Malta accepted migrants who were rescued significantly closer to Lampedusa than Malta. To date, Malta had always been firm that migrants should be taken to the closest safe harbour. Had the old policy been changed?

Dr Busuttil said the previous PN administration had always retained that disembarkation should take place at Lampedusa. Malta had objected to the Frontex guidelines because of the disembarkation issue. Malta had also ended its participation in Frontex operations. What pledges had the Government obtained during the last relocation forum? The PN Government had managed to relocate 700 migrants to other EU countries apart from a number of others in the United States.

Would the Prime Minister insist on a revision of the Dublin regulations in the next EU summit?

Dr Busuttil urged the Government to change its hostile attitude towards the EU, adding that during the last nine years he had been strongly critical of EU action on burden sharing. He said Malta had to be careful not to prejudice its position.