[WATCH] EU ‘determined to save Schengen’ amid pledges to help develop Africa

EU ‘determined to save Schengen’ • Video by Ray Attard

The European Union is “in a race against time to save Schengen” according to European Council President Donald Tusk, who said that developments in Germany, Sweden and Slovenia on migration “reflected the huge pressure member states are facing”.

Tusk was addressing a press conference along with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and ECOWAS President Macky Sall, following the conclusions of the Valletta Summit on Migration. The Final Declaration and Action Plan include the launching of projects in Africa by the end of next year aimed at reintegrating returning migrants into the community and labour market.  

The discussions took place amid growing disgruntlement in Europe that little is being done to address the migratory crisis and influx of refugees in member states.

Yet another new European border fence was erected Wednesday as Slovenia became the latest country to install a barrier to control the flow of refugees and migrants; Sweden is introducing border checks.

“The developments in Germany, Sweden, Slovenia show the huge pressure member states are facing. Saving Schengen is a race against time and we are determined to win that race. We must act and implement all decisions taken, including those taken in previous summits,” Tusk said, recalling an effective external border control system.

“Without Schengen, Europe will not survive.”

In agreement, the Maltese Prime Minister insisted that it was time to reform Schengen rules. Safeguarding borders, he added, was not to build a ‘Fortress Europe’ but to have rules that worked “for all parts of the European Union”.

“While some of the member states might opt to erect fences and walls, this is no solution.”

Muscat said that the Valletta Declaration and the Action Plan showed “goodwill from the European and African sides”. The ambitious action plan, he added, needed to be implemented by 2016. Malta’s EU Presidency in 2017 will take stock of what was implemented and a follow-up plan will be drafted.

Muscat went on to call himself “a proud European” for seeing Europe the only continent that was trying to act together with Africa to forge a relationship that went beyond financial developments.

“I hope that today we planted the seeds for a fruitful partnership,” he added.

Sall, who is also the President of Senegal, said that the compromise that was reached during the Valletta Summit must now be implemented.

Poverty, conflict and terrorism were few of the causes forcing Africans out of their home. “Until we have a fair pay for our natural resources, Africa will continue to be dependent on others,” he said, insisting that corruption and tax avoidance cost them billions in losses ever year.

“We need more processing of our commodities on the ground rather than merely exporting raw material that could create jobs on African soil,” Sall said.

He spoke of multinationals who avoided paying taxes and the resulting fraudulent flow of money.