Casa irks Labour with German’s reproach on Malta passport controls

Labour has taken issue with statements from German MEP Manfred Weber that took to task Malta for suspending its Schengen borders, saying that Malta was singled out for some harsh criticism.

“Weber and David Casa did not mention those other countries that have introduced more controls at the borders and airports,” the PL said in a statement. France is one such country that reintroduced passport controls in the area of free movement after the attacks in Paris.

“The PN’s head of delegation David Casa is fomenting bad blood ‘inside Europe’ because he is against more controls at our airports,” the PL said.

“The Opposition is trying to turn this issue of security into a political football. PN leader Simon Busuttil does not care about Malta’s security.”

Weber weighed in on Malta’s decision to reintroduce border controls as a security measure, claiming the reason to suspend Schengen in Malta was down to the alleged corruption in the issuing of visas and residence permits.

Malta suspended Schengen as a security measure during the Valletta Summit and again for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November.

But Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the suspension will go on due to heightened security concerns across Europe following the horrific terrorist attacks by Islamic State operatives in Paris on 13 November.

Weber and the PN’s head of delegation David Casa said that the alleged corruption in the issuance of residence permits to Libyan nationals, and other allegations of abuse in the issuance of travel visas to Algerians “raised serious questions which can have an impact on the security of the Maltese citizens as well as on the other Schengen Member States.”

Weber and Casa said the Schengen area was a major achievement of the EU and that it was up the member states to make sure that persons entering the Schengen area through their territory enter in a legal way. “Member States at the external EU border have an even higher degree of responsibility for the common safety.”

In reaction to the Labour Party’s claims, Casa stated: “My duty is to the Maltese people. It is certainly not to play a part in covering up the shameful practices of this Government. It is when institutionalised corruption is allowed to take hold that Maltese interests and the security of the Maltese people are prejudiced. Regrettably this is exactly what is happening.”

Addressing the Labour Party, Casa stated: “Understand this once and for all. You are not Malta. You were elected it to run it – which you are doing incredibly badly”.

Casa also told MaltaToday in a later comment that comparing Malta's suspension of Schengen with actions by Germany, which suspended its Schengen borders temporarily due to the large refugee influx from Syria, was "laughable".

“Curtailing the liberties of Maltese citizens should not be taken lightly. But at present we are faced with a situation where thousands of Libyans and Algerians have gained access to Malta and therefore to the Schengen area illegally. And all this because Schengen was abusively turned into a commodity so that persons close to the labour party could profit. Equating the present situation to Germany having imposed border controls for a few hours to deal with an unprecedented influx of refugees is laughable.”