Brussels, 16/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - During a meeting in Rome on Monday 15 July, the Maltese and Italian heads of government urged the EU to do more to overcome the tragedy suffered by migrants risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean.
Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat called for new European rules, arguing that the situation on the island had become unbearable since the arrival of hundreds of migrants, AFP reports. His comments recently aroused the anger of Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström (see EUROPE 10885). Muscat felt that Malta had been “abandoned”, saying there are no European rules for repelling migrants or making them continue on their way. He called for a “coherent EU policy”, AFP reports, and then drove his point home saying: “Empty words on solidarity are not enough”.
In proportion to its population, Malta has the largest number of asylum seekers in Europe, with 21.7 applicants for asylum for every 1,000 inhabitants. Since the beginning of the year, 1,200 immigrants, including Libyan refugees, have arrived on the small island. Last week, Muscat suggested they should be sent directly back to Libya.
Muscat's Italian counterpart, Enrico Letta, also felt that Europe, as the European Union, should do more with regard to this highly significant matter of migratory flows. He said it was necessary to put into practice the call launched by the Pope last week in Lampedusa to put an end to this human tragedy in the Mediterranean. The problem of illegal immigration “must be managed above all through effective policies and cooperation in the countries of origin, in Libya and countries from which the flow of migrants is massive”, Letta said. He called on Libya to rapidly implement international conventions as, on the other side, “there is commitment from countries such as Italy, Great Britain and France for the training of military personnel, coastguards and border guards”. He went on to add: “Libya's great problem is how to manage its border with Chad and Niger” (our translation throughout). (SP/transl.jl)