Brussels, 27/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - During the meeting of EU home ministers held on Thursday 26 February, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Malta presented a joint request calling for action at European level on asylum and the fight against illegal immigration in the southern Mediterranean region (EUROPE 9820). “We shall take this into account when preparing the Stockholm programme (which will succeed that of The Hague)”, said European Commissioner Jacques Barrot, at a press conference. Answering a question put to him by a journalist anxious to know what the EU was doing to help these countries that have been facing impressive flows of immigrants arriving on their coasts for over a year, Commissioner Barrot said: “We of course heeded the calls for help from these four member states (…) and wasted no time in providing them with a response in consequence”. On this occasion, Mr Barrot pointed out that the Asylum Support Bureau had been considerably called upon by these four countries (see EUROPE 9849) and that the Commission had ensured they benefit from the European Fund for Refugees and the External Borders Fund. Also, the commissioner reiterated, they planned to develop these responses in the Stockholm programme. Mr Barrot will be in Malta and Lampedusa on 13 and 14 March and, in his view, this will provide an opportunity to strengthen solidarity between these member states. “France shares the concern of these countries faced with the growing pressure of illegal migration on their coast”, the French minister for immigration, Eric Besson, said, adding: “It is a matter of solidarity. But the arrangements have still to be defined”. “France is ready to take its share and take in 80 immigrants from Malta where they have obtained refugee status or alternate protection”, he announced. Further to the wish expressed by Malta to host the future European Asylum Support Bureau on its soil (EUROPE 9849), Mr Langer confirmed that “suggestions have been made but it is more important to define first of all the missions and the tasks of the bureau and not the place where it is to be located”. Mr Barrot, for his part, simply said: “Let's take one thing at a time!”. The Council and the Commission found it difficult to conceal their embarrassment about the fact that a new race for the seat of the bureau was being launched, a diplomatic source explained. (B.C./transl.jl)