Malta will today present the EU with a road map representing the priorities of Mediterranean member states in the fight against illegal immigration.
Justice Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici will be making a presentation during an informal EU Justice Ministers Council meeting in Prague following an agreement reached last Tuesday in Rome between the Justice Ministers of Malta, Italy, Greece and Cyprus that form the Quadro group.
The group was set up recently on Malta's initiative and is intended to present a unified voice on common issues such as illegal migration at EU Council level.
At the Rome meeting, the second since the group was formed, the four minsters approved a document mapping out the main priorities they would be pressing the EU to work upon in the coming months in order to fight illegal migration.
The group will be pursuing progress on the Migration and Asylum Pact signed last October, particularly on readmission agreements with countries like Libya and Syria on repatriation and burden sharing.
The road map also insists on specific measures dealing with the procurement of travel documents for returning illegal immigrants and the organisation of joint flights as well as more funds to strengthen Frontex anti-migration border patrols.
The strategy is deemed to be very important, particularly as the EU will this year be presided over by two non-Mediterranean member states, the Czech Republic and, later, Sweden, which are not traditionally as keen as other member states to move on tackling southern Europe's pressing issues.
The point was made quite plain by Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Vodra last week. When asked how the Czech Presidency intends tackling illegal immigration in Southern Europe, he replied brusquely that this is not a priority for his country's Presidency.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici said after the Rome meeting that Malta is fully aware of the prevailing scenario in the EU and that is precisely why the initiative is being taken.
"We have come up with the Quadro group initiative and this roadmap to make sure that the Migration and Asylum Pact, agreed by the EU last October, will continue to be an EU priority and will be translated from text into action. We want progress to be made even during this year despite not having Mediterranean member states in the driving seat. The fact that our goals are now shared by three other member states gives us added strength at EU Council level," he said.
Highlights of the Quadro roadmap
• The EU should put in practice its principles of solidarity and fair burden sharing.
• The conference on the extension of global migration approach to east and south-east, scheduled for April 2009, will also represent a good opportunity to resume the debate on the Mediterranean region.
• The Quadro countries consider that the further conclusion of European Community readmission agreements with key countries of origin and transit in Africa, the Near and Middle East (Libya and Syria) and elsewhere is an urgent necessity.
• Conclude ongoing negotiations for readmission agreements with Morocco, Turkey and Algeria.
• The EU Council should consider enacting legislative provisions to establish a European Laissez Passer issued to illegally residing third-country nationals with a view to facilitate readmission to third countries.
• The Quadro countries consider that the way ahead lies in the strengthening of Frontex and in the continuation of joint operations. The agency should be provided with the necessary financial resources and member states should provide the committed necessary resources.
• Member states should shoulder part of the burden by assuming the long-term responsibility for some of the persons rescued in third-country waters or search and rescue areas.
• Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Malta, besides urging the Commission to keep up its momentum in relation to intra-EU reallocation, urge the other member states to consider reallocating beneficiaries of international protection from member states facing specific and disproportionate pressures due to their geographical or demographic circumstances.