The UN High Commissioner for Refugees is urging the EU to convene an emergency meeting between Malta, Italy and Libya to find "a more appropriate solution" to the immigration problem in the Mediterranean.
Antonio Guterres yesterday wrote to European Commission President Josè Manuel Barroso just days after Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici's outburst against the UNHCR's role in the migration issue. Mr Guterres said the meeting, organised by the Commission, should bring together top representatives from the three countries and the UNHCR.
"I can confirm Mr Guterres made this request and the Commission is expected to reply shortly," Gilles van Moortel, the Brussels-based UNHCR spokesman, said.
"As you know, the UNHCR is highly critical of the recent Italian decision to start pushing illegal immigrants back to Libya. This is why we called upon the EU to convene a meeting as soon as possible," he added.
Mr van Moortel said the UNHCR was very concerned with Italy's approach because Libya was not a signatory of the 1951 refugee convention and the country did not guarantee the granting of full asylum rights to possible refugees.
Asked why Malta had been roped in, he said the island was very involved in the problem of illegal immigration and the UNHCR wanted it to be included in finding a possible solution.
"The UNHCR recognises that Malta has a problem with illegal immigration. We also think Malta should be afforded more help by the EU," he said. The UNHCR, whose Malta office remains unmanned after the resignation of its local coordinator Neil Falzon, was harshly criticised by Malta last week.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici accused the UN organisation of "lack of interest" in discussing illegal immigration and lamented he had been trying to meet Mr Guterres since last September. Mr van Moortel declined to comment on this point, saying he was not aware of Dr Mifsud Bonnici's comments.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici had publicly supported Italy's new strategy of returning to Libya illegal migrants found in the Mediterranean. He hit out at the UN agency for attacking Italy's policy to return migrants without suggesting an alternative.
Mr Van Moortel said the EU was expected to give a reply to the UNHCR's request for a meeting in the coming days.