Malmstrom urges all EU States to 'rapidly' agree to refugee burden sharing system

European Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom has urged all EU Member States to “rapidly” seek agreement on burden sharing of refugees who are fleeing Libya and the troubled North African coast into Europe.

6 April 2011, 12:00am
by Karl Stagno-Navarra

1 min read

In a letter sent to all Heads of Government within the European Union, Malmstrom stressed on what she defined as the “urgency” to activate emergency measures – and if necessary – a special directive that will assist countries like Malta and Italy to cope with the influx.

Malmstrom appealed to all Home Afafirs Ministers who are expected to meet in Luxembourg next Monday and Tuesday not to drag their feet in taking such an important decision, as evidence clearly suggests that the “migration problem is set to continue and increase.”

“All EU Member States must ensure to welcome these refugees and to provide the infrastructure and services in close collaboration with the UNHCR,” Malmstrom wrote in her letter.

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk who this morning met with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, has assured his full support towards Malta’s migration concerns.

Poland, which will take over the EU Presidency as from June 1, has assured Malta that migration will be one of the Presidency’s top priorities.

A government spokesman has meanwhile welcomed Commissioner Malmstrom’s letter, and said that what is being stressed has been Malta’s argument throughout the past weeks since the beginning of the Tunisian and Libyan uprisings.

Only yesterday, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi urged the European Commission to act fast and to activate the special directive on migration, while Foreign Minister Tonio Borg has also met with his Italian counterpart Franco Frattini and discussed the same issue.

More from Karl Stagno-Navarra

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The comments from the previous correspondent is so correct. The lady here is mouthing rubbish from start to finish. It is about time She (and the rest of the over-paid officials in the EU) grasped this issue fully and squarely in the European Union. There are around 500,000 potential escapees awaiting to leave the north coast of Africa (libya has over 450,000 of these alone) who are all attempting to get in to Malta (or the other EU States.) Malta is the closest of the states under siege here and it cannot take on board any more of these 500,000 escapees than it has already. Italy has by far more flexibility to habdle this and it should not blame Malta for something it (Italy) should be doing. THe rest of the EU is not heeding what is being stated here and the PM of Malta. We cannot put up with these escapees (they are not all refugees, many of them are supporters of the old regime!)

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If activating ' emergency measures ' takes this long I'd hate to think how long normal measures would take the EU. Just send them all back. We are never going to get any help from the EU I assure you.