Mizzi appointed SnD rapporteur on immigration issue

Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi has been appointed as the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) rapporteur for the Petitions Committee Report on the Situation in the Mediterranean and the need for a holistic EU approach to migration. Mizzi has been closely tracking the issue of immigration since the last legislature having been a constant contributor to parliamentary debates on the subject.

The aim of the PETI opinion is to directly contribute to the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs strategic report on the situation in the Mediterranean, tied to migration.

The purpose of Mizzi's opinion is to provide strategic recommendations to the Member States and to the European Commission in order to address the situation in the Mediterranean in a concrete and effective manner.

Mizzi said, “It is an honour to be appointed as rapporteur by one’s political group on one of the most important issues at the moment. Migration is not only of great importance for my political group but also of paramount importance for my country and for the thousands of people who risk their lives in attempting to cross the world´s deadliest border, the Mediterranean."

"Lacking  a truly European asylum and migration policy, I believe that the voice of the European Parliament, through these Reports will put the needed political pressure on the Member States and the Commission to finally adopt  a comprehensive European asylum and migration policy," added Mizzi.

"It is amply clear that countries on the frontiers, such as Malta, Italy and Greece, are directly affected by migrants arriving by sea and are not able to cope with the problem on their own."  How can Malta, a country that is 27 km long, be solely responsible and shoulder the burden of search and rescue operations in a zone of a quarter of a million square kilometres?`` questioned MEP Mizzi.

In conclusion, Mizzi said, "As a rapporteur, I will do my utmost to fight for full internal solidarity and responsibility sharing among the Member States, review of Dublin II, which in its current form burdens receiving countries with disproportionate problems and advocate for greater coordination and quota distribution to spread the processing of asylum-requests and resettlement of refugees more evenly across the EU."