Foreign Minister Michael Frendo has proposed that the European Union introduce a European travel document to be accepted by third countries, particularly those adhering to the Cotonou Agreement, in the process of the repatriation process of illegal immigrants to their countries of origin.
Foreign Minister Frendo was intervening in Madrid during the Ministerial Meeting on Illegal Immigration hosted by the Spanish Government for Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of the Interior.
Malta’s Foreign Minister said that illegal immigrants are trained to throw away all documentation they may have to make it more difficult for the receiving state to carry out identification which can lead to repatriation. The collaboration of countries of origin is not always forthcoming and it is imperative that this issue is addressed by the European Union as a whole.
Furthermore, Minister Frendo said, this issue of illegal immigration relates to an assault by the international criminal organisations on the international rule of law. Combating these international mafias must become an issue for the whole of the world community in the same way that there is now an international consciousness of addressing the threat of terrorism, Dr Frendo stated.
The responsibility to combat these mafias lies with all countries whether of destination, transit or origin. Indeed, Minister Frendo continued, it is essential that the countries of destination engage actively with the countries of origin and of transit and, in this regard, Malta looks forward to the EU-AU meeting in Tripoli on migration scheduled to be held later this year.
In his intervention, Malta’s Foreign Minister requested the European Union to engage the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in a dialogue for cooperation. “The UNHCR can help to address the issue of illegal immigration since this is now threatening the rights of genuine refugees” said Minister Frendo.
Making particular reference to Article 13 of the Cotonou Agreement, Minister Frendo also repeated once more his call for the European Union to apply conditionality or incentivisation with regard to its development aid to countries of origin which are recipients of its aid.
The Madrid Meeting was Chaired by Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and included the participation of the European Commission, represented by Vice President Franco Frattini and External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero Waldner, representatives of the current Finnish Presidency of the European Union, of the European Parliament, Europol and of FRONTEX, the EU’s border agency.
The Ministry of the Interior was represented at the Meeting by Parliamentary Secretary Dr. Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici.
Source: DOI press release
Read more about this issue on MaltaMedia's special feature:
Lanċa Ġejja u Oħra Sejra: Malta and its migrations.
© Copyright 2006 - MaltaMedia Online Network
Top of Page
| 
