"Take up Malta's concrete proposal on illegal immigration or come up with other tangible proposals - our citizens judge the EU on effective solidarity action,” he stated, adding that "the credibility of the European Union is on the line."  

Minister Frendo also  said that, while everyone had a responsibility to save people at sea, the issue remained as to which country was to accept illegal immigrants once they were saved.

“It is blatantly unfair and unacceptable that this responsibility for migrants saved from the Search and Rescue Area of third parties should be placed on Malta alone or on any other European Mediterranean border states such as Italy, Spain, Greece or France,” he continued.  

Foreign Minister Frendo insisted that "There has to be responsibility-sharing by all the 27 member states. Malta has made a tangible concrete proposal to Council. We are aware that some countries have reservations on this proposal but member states need to either take up Malta's concrete proposal on illegal immigration or else come up with other tangible proposals themselves - the problem exists and it is not enough just to discuss it or to reject a proposal without offering an alternative:  citizens judge the EU on effective solidarity action and this is needed in a concrete way."  

Pointing out how Malta is doing its best to save lives, Foreign Minister Frendo said "In the last three weeks the Maltese Armed Forces (AFM)  brought ashore over 340 illegal immigrants in thirteen separate incidents at sea".  

He said that in Malta there is a growing disillusionment with the EU on this matter because our citizens are expecting action on the ground. "Solidarity is at the heart of the European project", he emphasised.  

While expressing his support for FRONTEX operations in the Central Mediterranean, he said that these operations must take place within the parameters of burden-sharing by all the member states of the EU for persons saved at sea.  

Minister Frendo also pleaded the EU to for member states include refugees or persons with a humanitarian status from other EU member states such as Malta in their United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) quota, whilst noting that Malta  is suffering a disproportionate burden in this matter.  

On its part, the German Presidency of the Council commented that it is clear that Malta has a special difficulty in this issue and said that, once the proposals are discussed at working group and Permanent Representatives Committee levels, there should be further space for tackling this issue at future General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) meetings.

Meanwhile, fourteen corpses of illegal immigrants were lifted from the sea separating Lampedusa from Malta by Italian authorities on Sunday night. It is believed that illegal immigrants, whose bodies were discovered 60 miles southeast of Lampedusa, were aboard a boat which sunk in the Malta-Sicily Channel.  

An Italian Navy vessel as well as Italian coast guards carried out the mission.  

Searches for further bodies are underway.

Read more about this issue on MaltaMedia's special feature on Lanċa Ġejja u Oħra Sejra: Malta and its migrations.