(Adds comment by Home Affairs Minister)

EU Justice Ministers have agreed on an new EU Immigration Pact which includes a commitment by EU member states towards the creation of a new burden sharing mechanism to help small member states like Malta deal with large influxes of illegal migrants and asylum seekers.

Sources close to the EU Council confirmed that during the meeting all EU member states accepted Malta's position and dropped their reservations.

Malta, represented at the Council by Justice Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici and Permanent Representative Richard Cachia Caruana, insisted during the past weeks on having a commitment in the Pact to burden sharing.

Foreign Minister Tonio Borg had warned that this was a red line with Malta prepared to take the issue of burden-sharing to the European Council if no agreement was reached.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici in a comment after the agreement was reached, said that Malta wished to thank the French presidency, the European Commission and the member states for their efforts towards a solution.

“This pact is an important tool which will direct the Commission and the member states on immigration. We feel that that pact addresses the disproportionate pressures being felt by countries such as Malta.

“The EU is sending a clear signal that it is united and will address this problem in a firm and determined way.”

Details of the deal are expected to be given at the end of today's council meeting in Brussels.