‘The ball’s in Europe’s court’ – Muscat on migration

According to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, the ball was now in the European Union's court to translate words of solidarity into action.

Between Thursday and Friday, Muscat attended the European Council meeting which decided that operational decisions on irregular migration should be discussed in December.

Addressing party faithful in Bormla, Muscat was cautious in expressing satisfaction over the Council's outcome. He however described Malta as having "found its voice of reason" and the work carried out by the Maltese delegation in Brussels showed the island had shed its "inferiority complex".

The European Council conclusions have resulted in conflicting reactions: whereas government has expressed satisfaction that the issue has not been postponed to June, the Opposition said the results were "disappointing". On its part, the Green Party said the EU had been incapable of putting into practice European values of respects towards life and human dignity.

Muscat also insisted it was no mean feat that Malta had obtained the support of 15 member states in its cause. Such support, he said, had created a movement within the European Union.

"Right now we are at a disadvantage because the previous administration had accepted the concept of voluntary burden sharing and gave up on having mandatory sharing. What we have achieved this week is unprecedented," the Prime Minister said.

He conceded that the jury was still out on what could be achieved in December's Council meeting: "The EU has committed itself to implement operational decisions and we will hold them accountable to that pledge."

The Maltese government is pushing for the ability for member states to issue travel documents and repatriate irregular migrants whose request for asylum would have been refused.

Another proposal is for the setting up of offices in African countries that would enable people fleeing their country to apply for asylum without having to cross the Mediterranean.

Muscat said he held a firm position with his fellow EU peers in insisting that Malta "will not endanger lives" but that his priority would remain national interest.

"And we will take all necessary decisions to protect it," he said, adding that Malta will not accept further dragging of feet by the European Union.

Muscat however did not say how he intended to voice Malta's opposition, saying only that "we will be the ones to decide when and how".

He also said that the EU was now "addressing the problem by its name: illegal entries".

During his speech, Muscat also urged his party faithful to vote for Labour MEPs who in turn would support Martin Schulz's candidature for the European Commission President elections.

Schulz - a German politician for the Social Democratic Party of Germany and currently the President of the European Parliament - has described Joseph Muscat's stand vis-à-vis the EU as "understandable". Schulz also said that both Malta and Italy needed the support of their peers to face migratory pressures.

"Our family in the European Union is supporting us. It is now time for others to do the same and convince their European allies to support Malta," Muscat said, indirectly urging Opposition leader Simon Busuttil to turn to the European People's Party.

PM tells Al Jazeera 'numbers are unsustainable'

Almost thirsty minutes after addressing the Bormla PL club annual general meeting, Joseph Muscat was in a live conference call with Al Jazeera during which he insisted that the number of migrants reaching Malta's shores were "unsustainable".

"We are the victims of a system which is not working. We are coming up with our own proposals and we expect action. We are now verging on the unsustainable," Muscat said.

The Maltese and Italian governments have repeatedly said they could not patrol the shores alone, and to combat human trafficking and smuggling, Libya had to be brought on board.

"Because of its lack of security, Libya is the preferred route of migrants. A patrol of both its northern and southern borders is needed," he said.

Once again, Muscat said Malta was calling for the repatriation of migrants whose request for asylum would have been refused.

"We need to send the message that Europe is not the promised land of milk and honey and they will not find a solution to their problems in Europe. We ourselves need help," Muscat said.

Muscat was speaking during a special Al Jazeera feature on refugees and asylum seekers. Moments before Muscat's short interview, an Al Jazeera correspondent from Libya spoke about irregular migrants trapped in a Tripoli zoo, who were kept in detention and trapped in limbo.

She said the ages of those seeking refuge in Europe ranged between 25 and 30 and many were from Somalia and Eritrea fleeing war zones and persecution.

Muscat was subsequently asked how the Maltese society was coping with influx of migrants and whether his government had faced any backlash on its position.

The Prime Minister replied he was "a firm believer of integration".

"I am a firm believer of integration but numbers need to be sustainable. We have the highest numbers of asylum applications in Europe and it is simply unsustainable."