Malta signed an agreement with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to set up an office that will help the island with the repatriation of immigrants entering the island’s shores illegally. The agreement was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Michael Frendo and Director General of IOM Brunson McKinley.
The office, which is expected to open early in 2007, will see that illegal immigrants are repatriated to their countries of origin in a dignified manner. In turn the agreement will ensure that Malta is helped by the organization where dramatic issues involving illegal immigrants are concerned.
Prior to the signing, Minister or Justice and Home Affairs Tonio spoke at the final conference on the “Pilot initiative to foster Assisted Voluntary Return in Malta” organised by the same organisation, stating that Malta has seen the arrival of almost 8,000 illegal immigrants since 2002, said Borg.
The Minister welcomed the IOM’s pilot project on assisted voluntary return, adding that voluntary return programmes should be seen as one of a number of different options available to Malta for mitigating the problems of illegal immigration. “Those not having the right to stay here will be given the opportunity to take up the possibility of voluntary return to their country of origin – safely and in a dignified manner – with the unconditional aim of giving them a new opportunity to start afresh in their home-land in a humane manner and with full respect for their human rights and self-respect. This is repatriation with a human face,” continued the Minister.
In this view, the Minister further explained that voluntary return programmes should thus become an integral part of effective migration management alongside strong border management, timely and fair asylum processes and the protection of those deserving of it.
The Voluntary Return Programme should be seen in the context of a host of other initiatives, such as the EU Programme on Migration and Development in Africa, and greater burden-sharing and resettlement initiatives, added the Minister. "While still at its inceptions stage – and we recognise that experience in other countries point to a long process in establishing such programmes – the voluntary return programme is a noble endeavour which deserves to succeed," he concluded.
Read more about this issue on MaltaMedia's special feature:
Lanċa Ġejja u Oħra Sejra: Malta and its migrations.
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