Walls do not just stop people from getting into a country, they also stopped our country’s own people from leaving. This meant blocking their freedom of movement, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said today.

Addressing the EPP congress in Madrid, Dr Busuttil referred to the migration flows into Europe and described them as moments when Europeans were faced with the stark choice between going it alone and getting it done together.

“It is the stark choice between re-erecting national borders and showing that Europe stands for something.”

Once again, he said, Europe was at a defining moment when the forces of staying together clashed with the forces of going it alone.

“We must show that we can deal effectively both with the causes and the consequences of the migratory flows. So we must act.

“We must curtail the flow through an effective foreign policy which makes a real difference in countries like Syria, Libya and Turkey and not remain helpless on the root causes of migration."

European Border Guards and a European Coast Guard - because the vast external maritime borders of my country and of the other Mediterranean countries are also your external borders.

“And we need to share fairly the responsibility of dealing with those who make it here, treating people with dignity.”

Dr Busuttil said that doing this together was complex and required decisive actions on many fronts and a give-and-take.

“But it has also one big advantage. It helps us do together what none of us can do on their own.”

The EPP, he said, was always there to lead the way and to take the bold and ambitious decisions in the European Union when it really mattered.

“It is time to take the lead again. We have done it in the past. We can do it again,” Dr Busuttil said.