The European Commission adopted a package of measures which will reinforce the EU's efforts to increase solidarity between Member States and fight illegal immigration more vigorously.
Malta should benefit from the measures adopted on Wednesday, especially in the light of the numerous influxes of illegal immigrants arriving in Maltese shores during the past month.
Vice President Frattini, Commissioner responsible for Freedom, Security and Justice, underlined the need for an effective and coherent common visa policy at EU level, for clear and well-defined measures designed to combat the growing phenomenon of illegal immigration and of giving more substance to the concept of solidarity in the area of immigration and asylum in particular in the field of border management.
The package comprises of a Communication on the policy priorities in the fight against illegal immigration of third-country nationals, a proposal for a Regulation establishing a Community Code on visas for short-stays and a proposal for a Regulation on the powers and the financing of rapid reaction teams of border guards from Member States who are seconded to another Member State in order to provide technical and operational assistance.
The Communication on Policy Priorities to Fight Against the Illegal Immigration in particular explores how to further secure external borders, for instance by introducing intelligence led borders management among other issues.
Community Code on short-stay visa will reinforce the security of the European Union and further facilitate legitimate travel into the European Union as it reinforces the coherence of the common visa policy on the processing and issuance of short-term, transit and airport transit visas.
The rapid reaction team of border guards represents a step forward in the development of an integrated border management system at European level and constitutes an important measure for the furthering of solidarity between Member States and the Community in the field of external borders.
In the recent weeks, Maltese Foreign Minister urged the European Union to do more for Malta’s illegal immigration crisis. In turn, illegal immigrants continued to flock towards Maltese shores, with the arrival of 25 illegal immigrants at Haywharf on Tuesday.
Read more about this issue on MaltaMedia's special feature:
Lanċa Ġejja u Oħra Sejra: Malta and its migrations.
See also:
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