Retaining the current set of European asylum rules is not an option, said Minister for Home Affairs and National Security, Carmelo Abela.
Speaking at a meeting of EU Home Affairs ministers in Luxembourg on Thursday 13th October, Minister Abela stated that Malta is of the opinion that there is a need for a “reformed robust [asylum] system that is based on the principle of solidarity and fair
sharing of responsibility”.
Minister Abela referred to the need for rules which do not place responsibility on just a few memberb states as a forward-looking guarantee system which protects all regions of the EU. “As we have seen through the course of this crisis, migration routes can shift dramatically. Therefore, we should all recognise that a fair and sustainable Common European Asylum System is an insurance policy against the inevitable,” stated the Minister.
He added that during the upcoming Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first semester of 2017, the revision of the Common European Asylum System will be at the top of the Council’s agenda.
In addition to the EU’s asylum rules, EU ministers also discussed recent migration trends and developments, including within the Eastern and Central Mediterranean. Minister Abela welcomed the fact that crossings into Greece have declined since the signing of the EU-Turkey Statement earlier this year. However, he cautioned that constant engagement on the implementation on both sides is needed.
Minister Abela also highlighted Malta’s concern that migration flows along the Central
Mediterranean route are now back at the same levels of the past years. He noted that many actions have already been agreed to and that it is time for a focused and united effort in implementing these decisions, adding that the EU must not lose its sense of urgency. He emphasised the importance of external engagement with countries of origin and transit, including by implementing the actions agreed to at last year’s Valletta Summit on Migration and the EU migration compacts with five priority countries in Africa.
On the sidelines of the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, Minister Abela held numerous bilateral meetings to discuss preparations for the Maltese Presidency. These included meetings with the European Commissioner for the Security Union, Julian King; the Swedish Minister for Home Affairs, Anders Ygeman, and the Swedish Minister for Justice and Migration, Morgan Johansson; the Romanian Minister for the Interior, Dragos Tudorache; and the Spanish Minister for Home Affairs, Fernandez Diaz.
Minister Abela also held meetings with a number of MEPs from different political groups at the European Parliament in Brussels.
