Malta’s approach to the migration problem was already bearing fruit, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Sunday morning.
Speaking during a short phone-in interview on the Labour Party’s One Radio, Dr Muscat that the transfer of a number of migrants that had been brought to Malta on board the humanitarian aid vessel Lifeline was burden sharing in action.
“This has shown that this government is not only able to sit around a table and reach a compromise in Malta, but also internationally,” he said.
A group of 52 migrants rescued by the MV Lifeline were taken in by France last week. The move formed part of an ad hoc agreement struck between nine countries after the 233 migrants landed in Malta after following six-day sea ordeal.
The migrants are to be shared by France, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and Malta. This process is ongoing, and more migrants will be leaving Malta in the coming days
Dr Muscat said the captain of the vessel seemed to be mostly responsible for the situation, insisting that he had not obeyed instructions.
The captain - Claus Peter Reisch, a 57-year old German, was arraigned under summons five days after the vessel docked at Boiler Wharf in Senglea. He faces charges over ship registration issues.
Dr Muscat said he was awaiting the results of an independent investigation, and the independent decision by the courts.
Dr Muscat said Malta's armed forces had been involved in coordination of a number of rescue operations, as recently as yesterday.
“This is what happens regularly without a lot of pomp and ceremony. Anyone who thinks our corps are not doing their job or meeting their responsibilities are sorely mistaken,” he said.
Earlier Dr Muscat hailed the first year of the government's second term as “a record”.
“We have enacted 45 new laws in this year already - a record year. And it’s not just the number of laws, but the quality: whether it’s protecting women through combating domestic violence, new legislation on medicinal cannabis, widening the application of IVF, or a new appointments scrutiny committee,” he said.
The Labour leader also had words of praise for the government’s efforts to legislate on Blockchain.
This, Dr Muscat said, was of the administration’s plans for new economic sectors.
“Children still in school, and students in sixth form. This is who we are creating jobs for – the next generation,” he said.