Very few asylum seekers arrived in Malta before 2000. A significant increase was marked in 2002 whereby 1,686 migrants arrived in comparison to the previous year’s 57.
Prior to 2002, the arrivals who applied for asylum became the responsibility of Rome’s United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). As part of the EU pre-accession process, Malta set up a national Refugee Commissioner’s office to process asylum claims.
It is after this increase in arrivals in 2002 that immigration has remained high on the national agenda as the flow of irregular immigration continued steadily.
This is our reality.
It was encouraging to hear of late that the EU is looking in this direction, speaking about solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility among its member states. Minister Manuel Mallia’s meeting with European Commissioner Cecilia Malmström looks like it was a step forward which obviously should be turned into action in that the latter is promising concrete assistance for failed asylum-seekers and emergency funding.
We must continue to make our case with the EU on the principles of solidarity and fair responsibility-sharing enshrined in the Treaty.
On the other hand, we ought to seriously address the reality of immigrants who are here to stay. This is how it is and how it will be.
The report of the Global Commission on International Migration, Migration In An Interconnected World: New Directions For Action (2005), points out that “In every part of the world that the commission has visited, international migration has been very high on the public, political and media agenda. While the precise issues at stake may have varied from place to place, the prominence of the discourse has been unmistakeable”. We live in this world.
Closer to home, the EU had set out common basic principles for an immigrant integration policy in November 2004, which should help us chart the way forward:
Integration is a dynamic, two-way process of mutual accommodation by all immigrants and residents of member states.
Integration implies respect for the basic values of the European Union. Employment is a key part of the integration process and is central to the participation of immigrants, to the contributions immigrants make to the host society and to making such contributions visible.
Our country’s structures for dealing with the migration phenomenon leave much to be desired
Basic knowledge of the host society’s language, history and institutions is indispensable to integration. Enabling immigrants to acquire this basic knowledge is essential to successful integration.
Efforts in education are critical to preparing immigrants and, particularly, their descendants to be more successful and more active participants in society.
Access for immigrants to institutions, as well as to public and private goods and services, on a basis equal to national citizens and in a non-discriminatory way is a critical foundation for better integration.
Frequent interaction between immigrants and member state citizens is a fundamental mechanism for integration. Shared fora, intercultural dialogue, education about immigrants and immigrant cultures and stimulating living conditions in urban environments enhance the interactions between immigrants and member state citizens
The practice of diverse cultures and religions is guaranteed under the Charter of Fundamental Rights and must be safeguarded, unless practices conflict with other inviolable European rights or with national law.
The participation of immigrants in the democratic process and in the formulation of integration policies and measures, especially at the local level, supports their integration.
Mainstreaming integration policies and measures in all relevant policy portfolios and levels of government and public services is an important consideration in public policy formation and implementation.
Developing clear goals, indicators and evaluation mechanisms are necessary to adjust policy, evaluate progress on integration and to make the exchange of information more effective.
Our country’s structures for dealing with this phenomenon leave much to be desired. We must define what is required to cater for those eligible for humanitarian protection, those who are ineligible and those who can or want to be relocated to other countries in order to be in a good position to ask for support.
While putting our efforts to a sound programme of integration, we must continue working hard with our EU counterparts for a fairer system of burden-sharing, pointing out the inequity in the system in place.
We need to take significant and substantial action. How to get there must not be a source of division within our nation. Immigration reform is a concern for all.
Helena Dalli is Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties.