It was a matter of concern that Malta’s problems were not mentioned anywhere in the EU declaration on migration while solutions were considered for those of other countries, including Italy, Germany, Spain and Greece, the Opposition said on Friday.

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In a statement, spokesmen Carm Mifsud Bonnici and David Stellini said it was also disappointing that EU leaders failed to agree on making the distribution of the immigration burden between member states compulsory.

The Opposition said it was in favour of reception centres in safe countries in Africa and encouraged Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to convince his political group, which did not seem to agree with such centres, to support them.

While it was good to increase funds for the Trust Fund for Africa, the government should insist on European investment in the post 2020 budget.

Investment should increase in Africa by both the private sector and through development funds for a good standard of living to be built and for the number of economic migrants to drop.

The Opposition expected a reform of the Dublin treaty and would continue to encourage the government to work towards this aim. The EU could not leave the countries that were close to Africa on their own because Europe was one territory and every problem faced by an EU state should be considered a European problem.

It said it would continue to insist on transparency with the people for there to be consensus on the matter in the national interest.

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