MEPs from across the European Parliament’s political spectrum criticise the Maltese government’s negotiating tactics

Published: July 12, 2013 at 3:16pm

Members of the European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, and otherMEPs from across the political spectrum have signed a declaration criticising the actions of the Maltese government in dealing with migrants in recent days.

The declaration states that under no circumstances should EU member states consider implementing policies that have been ruled illegal by the European Court of Human Rights, nor should they threaten to do so.

It urges the Maltese government to address any such concerns through diplomacy and dialogue.

It deplores the threat of veto use on unrelated EU measures, and considers such a threat, especially prior to any negotiations, to be misguided and counterproductive, running counter to the spirit of the European Union.

The declaration takes note of need for greater EU solidarity with Malta on the question of illegal immigration and further states that “nations on the periphery of the European Union require greater assistance in dealing with asylum seekers, but [we] emphasise the need to use legal and ethical means to request that assistance.”

Maltese MEPs David Casa and Roberta Metsola said: “No one is denying that we have a serious problem at hand – we are a small densely populated island and thus have our limits. But human lives should not be used as bargaining chips. This behaviour tarnishes Malta’s reputation and is detrimental to our cause.”

Signatories to the declaration include Tunne Kelam from the EPP, Ana Gomes from the Socialist Group, Sarah Ludford from the Liberals, Jean Lambert from the Greens and Sabine Lösing from GUE/NGL.

Here is the full text and list of signatories.

Declaration on Maltese Government’s Push-back Policy of Asylum Seekers

Whereas the Maltese Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat intended to implement a push-back of asylum seekers back to Libya, after arriving in Malta on 9 July 2013;

Whereas their deportation would have taken place immediately following their arrival without a review of their asylum applications and with no consideration to their fate should they be sent to Libya;

Whereas Libya is not considered stable and poses great dangers for migrants originating from sub-Saharan Africa who are often subjected to inhumane treatment;

Whereas such an action would contravene international treaty obligations and European Union law as well as disregard a judgement by the European Court of Human Rights;

Whereas on Tuesday 9 July the European Court of Human Rights blocked the deportation of migrants back to Libya through an interim measure following an urgent request by NGOs;

Whereas on 5th July 2013 Prime Minister Joseph Muscat threatened to veto unrelated EU measures should his demands on asylum seekers not be met.

The undersigned Members of the European Parliament declare:

1. strong objection to the recent actions of the Maltese government;

2. reiterate that under no circumstances should EU member states consider implementing policies that have been ruled illegal by the European Court of Human Rights, or threaten to do so;

3. understand the Maltese situation and the need for greater EU solidarity;

4. urge the Maltese Government to address such concerns through diplomacy and dialogue;

5. deplore the threat of use of veto on unrelated EU measures, considers such a threat, especially prior to any negotiations, to run counter to the spirit of the European Union, to be misguided and counterproductive;

6. recognise that nations on the periphery of the European Union require greater assistance in dealing with asylum seekers, but emphasise the need to use legal and ethical means to request that assistance.

Signatories:

David Casa, EPP, Malta
Roberta Metsola, EPP, Malta
Jean Lambert, Greens, UK
Sarah Ludford, ALDE, UK
Tunne Kelam, EPP, Estonia
Heinz Becker, EPP, Austria
Hubert Pirker, EPP, Austria
Ana Gomes, S&D, Portugal
Anna Záborská, EPP, Slovakia
Sabine Lösing, GUE/NGL, Germany
Olle Schmidt, ALDE, Sweden
Nadja Hirsch, ALDE, Germany
Sharon Bowles, ALDE, UK
Monica Macovei, EPP, Romania
Csaba Őry, EPP, Hungary
Gay Mitchell, EPP, Ireland




15 Comments Comment

  1. Anonymous says:

    This is not fair. This is all the fault of Joseph Muscat. Why is he doing this to our country? Our country which was always praised in the past. He is putting all the Maltese citizens in bad light. Sad.

    • Last Post says:

      Sorry about your sadness. I hope my comment doesn’t make you even sadder:

      They will retort back that it is David Casa and Roberta Metsola, who instigated this declaration, that are putting all Maltese citizens in bad light.

  2. Michael says:

    Well that was expected, only one S&D MEP voted in favour of this.

    Cruelty and ignorance are a socialist’s blood I guess.

  3. Edward says:

    I bet that all these people used to think that Muscat was sort of one of them, because he was part of the Labour Party and must therefore by default be liberal and progressive.

    However, they seem to have just found out exactly what the words ‘Labour Party’ mean in Malta.

    As I and many others, have been saying over and over again, just because they are called the Labour Party it certainly doesn’t mean they are the same as other Labour Parties across the world.

    The “Liberals” were the worst on this one. “How can you be liberal and vote for the “NATIONALIST” party” they used to say, when they damn well knew that the reality was the total opposite.

    The Labour Party is not the liberal party. The Nationalist Party is far more liberal than the Labour Party. How many times must one repeat this.

    Well, if the pseudo-liberals of Malta don’t get it, at least the real liberals of Europe do.

    But it goes further than that. Every liberal in Europe is now going to be far more cynical about the Malta Labour Party and its members in the EP.

    The misconception that benefitted the PL through the past few years is now realized.

    They will no longer treat the Labour MEPs as fellow liberals, but as amateur isolationist conservatives with no common sense.

    Well done, Joseph. Your bullshit might work on the uneducated over here in Malta, but it means squat to those in Brussels, who quite frankly, as smarter than you’ll ever be.

  4. Natalie Mallett says:

    Another lot that stood up to be counted. Thank you David and Roberta for picking up some of the pieces that went missing while Muscat was using his British humour.

  5. Alexander Ball says:

    Don’t they know how hard Muscat campaigned AGAINST Malta joining?

    I still haven’t heard a good reason why he changed his mind in favour. Is that because he hasn’t?

  6. Pepita says:

    Dr. Gonzi, once said that the PN had brought about many changes for the better in Malta, among them the Labour Party’s penchant for violence and anti democratic ways. Proof of this the normal behaviour of labour supporters after their party won the election.

    True but it seems it was a dormant volcano which, with the Prime Minister’s recent actions, seems ready to erupt.

    I hope I’m wrong.
    By the way is our church the “church of silence”?

  7. Socrates says:

    For those who think that Josef’s latest gaffe on the immigrants issue is a one-off, they are wrong…we’ll see much worse in a short time!

  8. john II says:

    Daphne, writing an article is easy for you, as it is as for your followers to comment back against the PM…. but tell me, all of you, what do you expect the PM to do? discuss more with EU??? done by PN government – failed for the last 10 years (EU taking 680 immigrants in 5 years) while more then 1k a year came to malta.
    USA took a few as well, but nothing which help the problem to be solved. Look at sweden and UK and see the hassle they are in cause they did not push back. Cultural problems are immense in those 2 countries. Malta should raise her voice with EU now to get the attention it needs and start negotiations with Libya to tackle the problem at source.

    [Daphne – I expect the prime minister to grow up and, in a phrase he would favour along with ‘smell the coffee’, get a life. Few things were sadder than hearing him on Al Jazeera say in dramatic voice, “This week we had ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY of them.” His interviewer goggled. He put me in mind of those women who ring up a radio station to say what a really busy day they had, ghax ghamlu tlett loads marelli.]

    • Edward says:

      John, the USA took more than just a few. In fact the USA took the most and these people were given a fair shot at starting a life in a better world.

      • john II says:

        Giving People chance to start a new life is a good thing, I am sure nobody is against these people starting a new life.

        This issue here is that such people should not stay to wait for this chance in Malta only. EU should shoulder such problem and start tackling the problem at source.

        Having said this, EU should be very careful, a “push forward” might be attractive and more will come. Making it more difficult to tackle the problem a source. Knife which cuts from both edges unfortunately.

        [Daphne – Do learn how to 1. think rationally, and 2. communicate properly in English. You have had all the advantages. I really cannot stomach arguments against ‘these people’ by those who are barely educated themselves. But it really is pointless trying to argue with somebody from such a very different culture. I would much rather have a conversation with an educated immigrant. While I appreciate your cross-cultural initiative here, you really would be more at home on timesofmalta.com or vivamalta. This is pointless.]

    • john II says:

      I understand your job is to humiliate the Labour PM, in all ways, as this is the only thing you do apparently, but this is an issue where local patrigganizmu should not get involved. This is an issue where Malta should look what is best for her and not stay cautious not to tamper her relationship with EU. Did EU temper her relationship with us by not helping us !!? I guess so, but they dont care, because we are a small nation and we are irrelevant to their eyes. If they help us now after all this, then the PM was right in doing what he is doing, in all his dramatic way, no….? But if nothing happens….mmmm…. then what?

      [Daphne – “I understand your job is to humiliate the Labout PM”: I have no such job. The fact that you think such a job exists, and that I have it, speaks volumes about your mindset.

      What is best for Malta is to be civilised, open-minded and to abide by the rule of law.

      Malta does not have “a relationship with the EU”. Malta IS PART OF the EU. You can only have a relationship with something when you are extraneous to it and not part of it. You do not have a relationship with your head, or with your arms.

      “We are a small nation and we are irrelevant to their eyes” – by ‘they’, who do you mean? If you mean our fellow members states, we have the same vote, exactly.

      • john II says:

        “The fact that you think such a job exists, and that I have it, speaks volumes about your mindset.” — There you go… going partiggana again.

        “Malta does not have “a relationship with the EU”. Malta IS PART OF the EU.” — As if you are to teach me something about EU. As you stand correct that we part of EU, then the problem is to be divided by all, like so we gratefully did with all the other states (which have a vote like us) who have financial problems. We contributed to the bail, but now EU (because if i say “they” you take it personally and get offended”, are finding it difficult to help out.

        [Daphne – If there were another civil war in the former Yugoslavia, John, would you have agreed to Malta taking some of the 440,000 people who fled into Germany and applied for asylum? Would you agree, now, to taking some of hundreds of thousands getting into Britain? Or into Poland? Or Greece? Or Cyprus? Or Spain? I think not. Yuo are village-centric, like many of your kind.]

        “You do not have a relationship with your head, or with your arms.” — mmmm…. this just shows your level of education at its best, Nothing to add.

        You attacking Labour in any way, does not bother me. There is no reason to bother me actually at all (even thou you refereed to this as my mindset),But not standing up to Malta and it’s rights………..being Maltese comes first then being European.

        [Daphne – Yes, if you are a member of the national front and a jingoist bigot. Look them up.]

  9. john II says:

    “Yuo are village-centric, like many of your kind.” — Just like you then Daphne, or you think you are so open minded you can lead the world with your level of village-education ??

    [Daphne – Well, it would be difficult for me to be village-centric, as I didn’t grow up in one, so my mentality is a little different.]

    “Yes, if you are a member of the national front and a jingoist bigot. ” — That just shows how much you love you country. Pitty we such people in Malta and call them selves maltese.

    [Daphne – Pity has just the one ‘t’.]

    Lets just hope this issue gets solved in us gaining, at least we should agree on that! hope so at least….

    [Daphne – We have different definitions of ‘gaining’, so I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed.]

  10. john II says:

    “Daphne – Do learn how to 1. think rationally, and 2. communicate properly in English. You have had all the advantages. I really cannot stomach arguments against ‘these people’ by those who are barely educated themselves. But it really is pointless trying to argue with somebody from such a very different culture. I would much rather have a conversation with an educated immigrant. While I appreciate your cross-cultural initiative here, you really would be more at home on timesofmalta.com or vivamalta. This is pointless.]”

    “these people” is in no way racist as you are trying to turn it.

    [Daphne – It certainly is. ‘These people’ has pejorative and contemptuous undertones. Nobody says ‘these people’ in reference to those they consider their equals, or those who they respect. One example: “Will you please get these people out of here?” (in reference to loud drunks at a party). Another example: “Kindly tell these/those people that I don’t wish to speak to them.” Yet another: “Who ARE these people?” (in reference to individuals making a scene in public).]

    Having the advantages to educate my self…… believe me i did. Unfortunately i could not say the same for you, and you can blame the labour government of that time for that, as a comfort factor. Such a comment coming from THIS person is just priceless in stupidity.

    [Daphne – Very few people are educated at school, john. I certainly wasn’t. If I were, I would have the educational standard of, say, Marlene Mizzi, who went to the same school, though a decade earlier, and who can barely string a sentence together without multiple errors. You are roughly at the same level.]

    “you really would be more at home on timesofmalta.com or vivamalta. This is pointless” — You are right!! here is pointless :)

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