Malta will be allocated 138 immigrants under a quota mechanism unveiled yesterday by the European Commission as part of a wider plan of action.
The quota is linked to a proposal for the EU resettlement of 20,000 asylum seekers from third countries over a period of two years.
Malta’s allocation is the second lowest, and Germany will be taking the biggest share: 3,684.
The UK, Ireland and Denmark have been excluded from the mechanism because of treaty concessions. The distribution mechanism is only one of several proposals made by the European Commission yesterday to address the migration phenomenon.
A separate quota for the redistribution of newly arrived migrants will be drawn up at the end of May, when the Commission will set in motion emergency provisions to tackle the crisis in the Mediterranean.
The plan complements an initiative by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, to secure a UN mandate for a naval operation in Libyan waters to attack people smugglers.
Ms Mogherini said yesterday the first decisions on this military operation, such as the siting of the mission headquarters and the commanding officer, were expected on Monday by EU foreign and defence ministers. She excluded boots on the ground in Libya, insisting the EU would seek cooperation with the Libyan authorities to dismantle the criminal networks.
The biggest gift to populists on immigration is to allow a broken system to remain broken
The migration plan foresees increased funding for Frontex, the EU border agency, more emphasis on the repatriation of migrants who do not qualify for protection and specialised teams from EU agencies to support member states that face sudden influxes.
Over the long term, the plan also makes provisions for assistance to countries of origin, including changes to the EU’s trade policy, which is often criticised as stifling economic growth in Third World countries.
European Commission vice president Frans Timmermans said the plan would turn the words of solidarity into action, insisting this was the first time the EU adopted “a comprehensive approach”.
The migration plan was prompted by the ongoing tra-gedies in the Mediterranean, including last month’s shipwreck, which is believed to have killed more than 800 migrants.
Mr Timmermans said the Commission was proposing measures to save lives at sea, disrupt the business model for smugglers, provide support to member states on the frontline and create legal channels for migrants to enter the EU.
“The biggest gift to populists on immigration is to allow a broken system to remain broken,” he said at a press conference alongside Ms Mogherini and European Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos.
kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com