European parliamentarians yesterday acknowledged that more had to be done to address the root causes of irregular migration which had turned the Mediterranean Sea into a mass grave, with more than 25,000 deaths believed to have happened over the past two decades.
Although there was a degree of sarcasm in speeches by MEPs from those countries further north, such as the UK, who called for the repatriation of all migrants, most speakers acknowledged the difficulties faced by countries on Europe’s southern border.
Only two MEPs, however, mentioned the plight of Malta, with many speaking about problems in Italy, Cyprus and Greece.
A number, especially the Italians, expressed frustration that despite the catastrophes, very little was being done.
One MEP said she found it ironic the EU had won the Nobel prize for peace as it was “standing still” in the face of irregular migration.
Just in from Lampedusa, Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom spoke of her “sorrow and great despair” in front of the coffins.
“Lampedusa is Europe and we must do everything we can to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. And it will happen again as long as there are dictatorships.”
Malta’s MEP Roberta Metsola called on fellow MEPs to think outside the box and propose solutions to nip the irregular migration problem in the bud.
“It is time to show the moral leadership Europe is crying out for. We must show the courage to not only tweet our outrage but propose holistic solutions that work,” Dr Metsola said.
She proposed giving the authorities more tools to tackle organised crime “that preys on the most vulnerable” and assessing asylum applications in third countries to put a stop to deadly voyages across the Mediterranean.
Another of Malta’s MEPs, David Casa, had strong words for his fellow parliamentarians, accusing them of being accomplices in the deaths of migrants crossing the sea.
“I have been hearing promises for 10 years but despite all, Malta and Italy were abandoned, with member states closing their eyes to the problem. I hope you are feeling guilty for what is happening.
“No more papers, no more conferences and no more official visits to Italy and Malta. What we need is concrete action and real solidarity,” Mr Casa said, urging them not to be accomplices in more deaths.
In the same vein, Maltese MEP Joseph Cuschieri said that Malta and Italy had been pleading for solidarity for several years and that only a tragedy like that of Lampedusa opened people’s eyes to the problem.
He said these deaths were on the conscience of those politicians who did not blink an eye in the face of this problem. “We need solidarity and a burden sharing agreement which is no longer voluntary but obligatory,” he said.
MEP Claudette Abela Baldacchino said it was a European problem that needed a holistic approach. The existing tools did not adequately address this crisis, she said.