Time to transform words on migration into action - Roberta Metsola

In her maiden speech in the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola said that she expected "action and results" and not only speeches on planned relocation programmes for refugees among EU member states.  

The European Parliament yesterday reacted to Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström's proposal for an annual forum to discuss transfers of refugees among EU countries.

Malmström described the pilot project for relocating beneficiaries of international protection from Malta (EUREMA) as a "concrete example of solidarity in the EU."

However, "only seven member states chose to participate in the project and they have relocated only 14 persons", she added.

The EU Commissioner pointed out that there is a huge majority of member states strongly opposed to any legislative instrument to relocate refugees within the EU.

"We have to take into account the political reality", she said, adding that setting up an annual relocation forum is, at this stage, the only workable solution.

Most MEPs welcomed the plan, but urged the EU's executive to stick to its pledge to put forward a permanent and voluntary system to relocate beneficiaries of international protection among member states.

Roberta Metsola who recently replaced Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil in the European Parliament, noted that thousands of migrants reached Malta from Africa in search of a better future since 2002.

"As the Commissioner said, Malta has long felt the pressure, and this requires effective, concrete and permanent EU action. EUREMA was a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done because this is a European issue."

She said speeches and declarations on the subject need to be transformed into concrete action, and solidarity needs to be strengthened.

"The solution cannot be a transitory or temporary one. A permanent relocation scheme would create an efficient mechanism that would cut excessive bureaucracy and facilitate the relocation of beneficiaries of international protection," Metsola said.

The new MEP called on the European Commission to give a definitive date as to when it proposes to put the voluntary permanent relocation scheme in place.

"We expect action and results," she said.

The Commission's plan envisages drawing up regular reports on the situation of national asylum systems, which would then be discussed in the forum, where member states would indicate if they wish to receive refugees.

"We could achieve the same goals by setting up this forum", said Commissioner Malmström, stressing that "we do want to encourage relocation in response to emergency situations