Brussels, 28/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission will soon be proposing a package of short-term measures to help countries in the South, particularly Malta, Italy, Cyprus, Greece and Spain to resolve their illegal immigration and asylum problems. Immigration Commission, Jacques Barrot, therefore intends to propose to EU home affairs ministers, on 14 June, measures that include: the creation of a voluntary refugee repatriation mechanism between member states. A key aspect of this will be €4000 offered to the member state that takes in the refugee from a country suffering high migration pressures; the opening of an asylum request reception office in North African countries, Libya, in particular, with the assistance of the UN High Commission for Refugees (HCR); the European Commission is also planning to organise a conference with Libya to discuss concrete solutions. Mr Barrot says that in exchange for its cooperation, Tripoli has been promised money and visa facilitation procedures and the stepping up of Frontex patrols around Libya. The presentation of this package was decided on Wednesday 27 May on the initiative of president José Manuel Barroso. Mr Barrot has officially written to the EU27 to present these measures to them.
Italy and Malta keep up the pressure. The Italian minister for foreign affairs, Franco Frattini, reiterated his appeal on Tuesday 26 May, for EU assistance to countries in the South facing immigration problems. Italy is trying to organise, with support from Malta, a tripartite meeting with Libya, explained Frattini. This meeting could take place on 9 June in Rome between foreign affairs ministers from the three countries. This will involve putting pressure on Libya to fully recognise HCR rights on Libyan soil so that it tackles requests for asylum. Rome and Valetta were visibly reconciled after a series of misunderstandings on taking immigrants rescued at sea and would also like the rest of the EU27 to express their solidarity in the face of migration problems, at the European Council on 18-19 June.
Tripoli calls for aid. On Tuesday 26 May, Libya called for more European aid to help tackle immigrants attempting to get to Europe via the Mediterranean. The Libyan home affairs minister published a press release in which he underlined the fact that illegal immigrants in the country's population of 6 million represented 20% of the total population. The minister stated that, “Libya is making this declaration to appeal to the European Union and international community to meet its Union commitments on technical assistance, equipment and training”. According to ANSA, Mr Frattini affirmed that Libya was prepared to work with the UN High Commission for Refugees (HCR). (B.C./trans/rh)