Malta's Foreign Minister Michael Frendo held talks in Geneva with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres, and asked the UNHCR to appreciate Malta's special circumstances as a small state with the highest density of population in Europe and, in particular, for UNHCR to help Malta especially in the resettlement of refugees and persons with humanitarian status.
High Commissioner Guterres was quoted as saying that UNHCR, while carrying out fully its protection mandate, wants to help in a solution for Malta which, he said, “needs to a special solution for a special problem”.
Foreign Minister Frendo asked UNHCR to add its voice in the fight against illegal immigration since this is prejudicial to the interests of genuine refugees and of persons who are to be given humanitarian status.
He expressed his thanks for UNHCR’s collaboration in the resettlement of a number of refugees from Malta in the Netherlands and said that Malta looks forward to other such instances of solidarity.
Minister Frendo also made reference to the FRONTEX border control mission in Malta which had been successful and had come after a sustained campaign by Malta in the EU, to ensure that action taken in the Canaries is also reflected in action in the Central Mediterranean.
He said that this problem is multifaceted and needed to be addressed in a complex manner. The issue of resettlement of refugees and persons with humanitarian status is one aspect of this issue and he asked for UNHCR help, with regard to restarting resettlement programmes with Canada and with Australia, within the large quota which these countries already have committed to UNHCR itself.
Commissioner Guterres said that UNHCR would be willing to join Malta and other interested parties in an attempt to find these special solutions for Malta’s special problem as a small state, that is a point of entry in the centre of the Mediterranean for illegal immigration.
In Geneva, Minister Frendo also met Brunson McKinley, Director General of the International Organisation of Migration, an inter-governmental organization which deals with the management of migration.
IOM, which collaborates closely with the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs, has 288 offices worldwide and will be shortly opening its own office in Malta.
Minister Frendo invited Director General McKinley to Malta where he is expected to sign an agreement with the Government of Malta relating to the setting up of the Malta office.
Read more about this issue on MaltaMedia's special feature:
Lanċa Ġejja u Oħra Sejra: Malta and its migrations.
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