Updated - Adds Dr Muscat's replies to Opposition comments

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia said this evening that they would respect an interim decision taken by the European Court of Human Rights to stop the repatriation of migrants from Malta.

They made their comments in parliament as they received written confirmation of the decision by the court, taken at the request of NGOs. Two repatriation flights to Tripoli, due to have taken off at midnight and 4 a.m. were called off, informed sources told timesofmalta.com

Dr Muscat told the House that over the past hours the government had shown that it was not bluffing in declaring that it would consider all options in the national interest in the face of a sharp increase in migrant crossings across the Mediterranean.

The government, he said, had managed to 'awake' the European Union after it slept on the issue of migration and the Commissioner responsible for migration matters had now promised talks with Malta and assistance.

He said the government had been in constant contact with the Libyan government over possible repatriation and more progress had been made than in the past few years.

Speaking in parliament, Dr Muscat said that in the past 40 hours, some 1,000 migrants tried to cross the Mediterranean. The situation was serious, but the European Union was not giving it the attention it deserved.

Malta had declared it would take whatever action was necessary in the national interest, but some thought the government was bluffing.

The test was last night when 102 migrants arrived. The group was categorised according to those who were vulnerable, children, pregnant women and others to ensure that if a decision for repatriation was taken, the vulnerable would still stay here. 

"We stood up to be counted, the situation can no longer be tolerated," Dr Muscat said.

He said he  understood that such decisions came at a political price which he was prepared to shoulder, but others who also took decisions and who thought they could stop the government from safeguarding the interests of the people had to shoulder theirs'.

Malta , he said, would respect the rule of law, international obligations and the interim decision of the European Court.

Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia said the situation was a very serious one. The number of criminal organisations preparing to traffic people across the Mediterranean from Libya had risen sharply. Just yesterday the following boats were monitored: a boat with 166 people on board, another with 60 , another with 50, another with 114,another with 43, another with 303 and another with 94, all of which missed Malta.

It the EU had a common asylum policy and other common policies, it was only logical that member states all had to shoulder the burden of migration, and Malta too would do its part, but only up to the limitations imposed by its size.

REPLY TO OPPOSITION QUESTIONS - WE SHOWED WE MEAN BUSINESS

Replying to questions from a number of MPs, Dr Muscat said that while the Opposition MPs had argued against push backs, the only ever push back by this country happened in 2002 under the former government when 223 migrants were sent back to Eritrea. None of those MPs had repudiated that decision.

Dr Muscat said he regretted hateful remarks made by Opposition MPs made against him personally. This was not something which should happen in Parliament.

He said he slept well at night because he was consistent. What he was saying today was the same as he had said when in Opposition. Yet up to a few years ago, the Leader of the Opposition argued differently from what he said this evening. He was in favour of sending migrants back to Libya and complained that Libya would not accept them back.

He was saying that at the time, the European Court had not pronounced itself.

Then Dr Gonzi said this was more of an ethical issue than a legal issue. This meant Dr Busuttil as not consistent on an ethical issue.

Dr Muscat regretted that solidarity from the European Union had not been forthcoming. Some countries had not even honoured their commitments. The bottom line was that every country sought its interests.

The government is facing a political firing squad when it is only guilty of not having bowed its head and said 'yes' to everyone.

The government, Dr Muscat said, was facing a political firing squad when it was only guilty of not having bowed its head and said 'yes' to everyone.

Respect was won when one stuck to an argument, rather than bow his head.

In the past hours, a European Union which had ignored and forgotten migration woke up to it again. That had been the indifference the Pope spoke about yesterday.

Reacting to criticism that the government had harmed Malta's reputation, Dr Muscat said Malta had shown it was not a push over, but it was prepared to discuss.

Dr Muscat said the Maltese government only said it was prepared to consider all options, the aim being to convey the message to the EU that 'we mean business'. As a result, the EU had offered to give further help to Malta.

What the government had seen were MPs who were not prepared to defend the national interest.

The recipe which the Opposition MPs were offering had failed miserably under the former government. The present government was therefore considering all options. However the government always said it would respect international obligations.

Among options the government was considering were ways to hasten bureaucratic processes involving the migrants.

The government was also advocating assistance to North Africa. Stronger ties were being forged with Libya and that country was showing readiness to forge a partnership that would lead it to sign international conventions. That would, once and for all, eliminate the arguments on push back and whether or not Libya was a safe country.

Culturally, the solution to the migration problem was not to push it under the carpet. One had to be correct how one approached this issue and be a good example to the people, while being careful not to fan racism, Dr Muscat said.

The government would follow the rules, it would humane, but it would not be ignored in matters affecting national rights, Dr Muscat said.