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‘Malta must not face migration alone’ – European Greens
‘Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s proposal to send back sub-saharan refugees to Libya was completely wrong, European Greens say.
13 July 2013, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
2 min read
The European Green Party (EGP) said Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's proposal to send back refugees to Libya was completely wrong, and welcomed the decision not to go ahead with pushback plans.
However, the EGP also called for the EU to stand in solidarity and develop a common strategy to manage the extreme pressure caused by the seasonal increase in the arrival of asylum seekers at Europe's southern coast.
The call followed European Council President Herman Van Rompuy's meetings with Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Libyan Deputy Prime Minister on the subject of migration in the Mediterranean.
EGP Co-Chair Monica Frassoni said: "The issue of processing asylum seekers cannot be left to single countries, notably in the south of Europe."
She added that people are fleeing violence and extreme hardship in Libya and other African states, coming through criminal channels at great risk to their life.
"The EU as a whole has an international responsibility to contribute to more humane and robust systems for the support of migrants and asylum seekers, and needs to ensure that they are treated fairly and with dignity. In particular Malta must live up to EU human rights standards in this area," Frassoni said.
"Prime Minister Muscat's proposal to send back sub-saharan refugees to Libya was completely wrong, and we welcome the decision not to put them on flights home. All of Europe must live up to our standards of democracy and civil rights. But Malta can't be expected to stand alone. All of the EU must stand together."
Frassoni's comments echoed those of Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson Arnold Cassola, who said: "It is an urgent and prime duty of Herman van Rompuy to persuade the European Council of Ministers to adopt the concept of solidarity in practice, responsibility sharing and to revise the Dublin convention."
Emmanuel Mallia •
@ L Sammut- Why the UNHCR is not condemning the United States ? Pushbacks is the order of the day, on the US shores !
Emmanuel Mallia •
Its not illegal immigration, but the muslim immigration ! Why there are always pregnant muslim woman amongst the immigrants ? Sheer coincidence, or a well prepared plan to turn Malta into an muslim state ?
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Amnesty International,UNHCR,EGP,EU and the other NGOs that are trying to tell Malta how to run it's affairs, I cannot speak for the Government of Malta but as a Maltese citizen I would like to tell you and anybody that wants to dictate to the Maltese Government what to say and how to run the country regarding these illegal immigrants, Why don't you get off your (excuse the expression) "asses" and come help these illegal immigrants and take them off our hands? The AFM risks their lives and bring these people to Malta, isn't that enough? If these people deserve asylum, why not do the right thing and take them off to Brussels? Threatening the Maltese Government and the people of Malta from thousands of miles away is the easy way out for all of you. So please I say to all you bullies, put your money where your mouths are and come and take these poor souls and give the Maltese People a lot of credit for aiding and saving these illegal immigrants or maybe opportunists in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea and bringing them to Malta. Enough is enough Mr and Mrs Bigshots, NGOs. It is no secret that these people are disrupting our way of life and the Maltese People have had enough. Hotel Malta is full..
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I totally disagree with the conclusion of your analysis. The European Greens are left of centre while the Maltese AD is right of centre especially its oldish leader after the resignation of the more shrewd younger one. It takes little effort to realise that AD now is the same anti-left it used to be when the same leader now was already leader 30 years ago. A renaissance of AD is badly required.
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How many times have we heard these words? When are we going to see actions so that justice prevails? What other suggestions besides words do the so-called defenders of human rights have if we remain with only words ad infinitum? Isn't it said that actions speak better than words?
