Former European Commissioner for Justice and Immigration Jacques Barrot was this morning bestowed with Gieh ir-Repubblika by President George Abela.

The award was given as “Malta’s gratitude and respect” to Mr Barrot for being instrumental in the implementation of the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum and for putting forward Malta’s perspective of solidarity and burden sharing.

President Abela said Mr Barrot was also instrumental in the setting up of the European Asylum Support Office in Malta.

“It is more than fitting that he deserves our respect and gratitude for what he did with our people in one of the most difficult challenges we had to face in recent years,” he said during the ceremony, held at the Palace in Valletta.

Mr Barrot described the moment as the highest point of his career. He said he was he was flattered to be given such recognition by Malta in the presence of “his close friend (Justice Minister) Carm Mifsud Bonnici”.

On immigration, Mr Barrot said:

“We have managed to obtain European solidarity to conform with European values. It is necessary to have solidarity. It is very important that all states show solidarity with countries like Malta, Greece and others in the south of the EU which have to deal with an influx of illegal migrants from African states,” he said.