MEP Simon Busuttil has welcomed the package of measures announced by the European Commission on Wednesday aimed at providing relief to Malta and other southern EU states suffering from migratory pressures.

The Commission proposed the establishment of a mechanism for burden sharing, more financial help and the opening up of an EU/UNHCR office in Libya which would have the function of processing asylum claims from Libya.

It also proposed to increase Frontex patrols and to hold a conference with Libya to discuss potential solutions.

This is the first time that the Commission has officially proposed the setting up of a burden sharing mechanism which has long been pushed by Malta, after the European Parliament endorsed the same course earlier this month during its vote on the review of the Dublin regulation on May 7.

“In the space of one month, two out of the three key EU institutions are fully behind us on burden-sharing. The EP is with us and now so is the European Commission. The last hurdle is the Council of Ministers,” Dr Busuttil said.

He said that this development did not happen by chance.

“We managed to secure the support of these two institutions through hard work and using the force of reason without turning to threat or vetoes and without ruining our country’s reputation.”

Dr Busuttil first proposed the setting up of a burden sharing mechanism in June last year in the European Parliament, even before it was endorsed in the EU Immigration Pact adopted in October.

Later, he secured an allocation of €5m in this year’s EU budget to finance the reallocation of immigrants from Malta to other EU countries.

Last Wednesday the European Commission stated that it would offer €4,000 in financial support for each person who is reallocated.

Dr Busuttil is the P’s rapporteur on a Common Immigration Policy.