Roundup of News About Malta Malta abstains on Europe's policy on migration, asylum

Malta has joined Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Slovakia in abstaining from voting for an agreement reached during a meeting for Home Affairs Ministers of EU member states regarding Europe's policy on migration and asylum Hungary and Poland voted against the deal

Addressing the meeting of the Home Affairs Council of Ministers in Luxemburg that focused on immigration and asylum, primarily on the Regulation on Asylum and Migration Management and the Asylum Procedures Regulation, two fundamental pillars of the Pact on Migration and Asylum presented by the European Commission in September 2020, Malta's Home Affairs Minister, Byron Camilleri, stressed that Malta's situation and vulnerabilities are different from those of other member states.

He said while irregular arrivals and responsibilities are a burden for every member state, they are even more significant for Malta due to its small size Therefore, this decision should be formed by the principle that one should have the peace of mind that if assistance is needed, it will be available and its needs fully addressed He said that judging by this criterion, the relevant legislative instrument offers no peace of mind.

Minister Camilleri stressed he appreciated the difficulty in reaching a compromise whereby the concerns of each member state are addressed and understands that several member states have a problem with secondary movements Still, to address this problem, a collective effort is required to reduce irregular arrivals

He said that Malta has worked and will continue to work, externally and internally, to keep irregular migrant arrivals in check Still, it remains vulnerable due to its small size and geographical position

He maintained that the reform in this sector must reach a balance between the new burdens that will have to be borne by countries located on the border, including Malta, and the solidarity from the other member states in particular circumstances He believes the agreement has yet to reach a good balance between responsibility and solidarity

Minister Camilleri said Malta appreciated the Swedish Presidency's and the Commission's commitment, who worked further to strengthen the Pact and a genuine attempt at compromise is made However, while the Pact contains some positive aspects, Malta is still determining if the presented solution will translate into a fair and effective system that can withstand Malta's current and future challenges He said that Malta will continue to work constructively to address these challenges