MEP calls for quick EU action on migration
Ivan Camilleri in Brussels
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Simon Busuttil: "Hundreds of illegal immigrants were losing their lives, turning the Mediterranean Sea into a graveyard and putting the EU to shame." |
Maltese MEP Simon Busuttil has called on the EU to start implementing its recent decisions on illegal migration as soon as possible in order to alleviate the "massive" problems being encountered by Malta and Italy.
Last week the Council of Ministers decided to embark on cooperation with Libya to stem the flow of immigrants from Africa to Europe and to prevent more deaths, partly by the setting up of a task force to patrol the Mediterranean.
Dr Busuttil was speaking during a debate at the European Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg on a report about links between legal and illegal migration and the integration of migrants, which the Parliament adopted by 431 votes in favour, 124 against and 49 abstentions.
The report states that around 500,000 illegal immigrants enter the European Union each year and those migrants who arrive legally in a member state often face many difficulties to be integrated in the economic, social and cultural landscape of the destination country.
The report also gives some guidelines for a migration policy in Europe, striking the balance between measures to fight illegal immigration and to integrate legal migrants living in the different member states.
Dr Busuttil told the Parliament that hundreds of illegal immigrants were losing their lives, turning the Mediterranean Sea into a graveyard and putting the EU to shame.
He said that even if they did reach Europe, whether Malta or Italy, the immigrants' ordeal was just the beginning.
"The other concern is the significant toll that this problem is taking on the countries concerned, particularly on Malta and Italy.
"In the case of Malta the situation is even more precarious because of sheer numbers. Last week, 56 immigrants landed in Malta. But 56 immigrants in Malta is proportionately equivalent to 5,600 landing in Italy. This is the scale of the problem that Malta is facing."
Dr Busuttil said it seemed that finally, the EU was responding to repeated calls for action. "We have been insisting on this need, and we finally managed to get it," he said.
Dr Busuttil congratulated the EU on the positive move and thanked the Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, Franco Frattini for mastering this initiative.
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