The seasons are changing.
As the weather gets better, Europe's migration crisis gets worse.
In a year of critical elections, Malta brings its frontline Mediterranean experience to
the leadership of the presidency of the European Union.
Malta must match humanitarian obligations with political reality.
Stormy seas lie ahead.
With several key migration initiatives already in place, the Maltese presidency is focused
on implementation.
But Malta has already tasked the European Commission with finding new ways to send migrants
back and is actively considering the possibility of humanitarian camps in North Africa as a
means to more effectively manage migration flows.
We have managed when it comes to migration, which is such a controversial subject, to
achieve operational progress, and also political progress, in an area which was essentially
dividing us over the past few months.
That doesn't mean that now we're united on all fronts, but it is a significant step forward.
You can't really address migration by addressing one aspect of migration.
If we really want to address migration in a proper way, which can actually make a difference
also for our citizens back home, then we need to have more of a wider approach which includes
action when it comes to asylum, action when it comes to external border management, also
action to the external aspect of migration, and importantly, the need to have legal routes.
Is it time for a big Marshall Plan effect?
I think, to some extent, everyone is talking about a kind of Marshall Plan.
But Member States are not delivering.
They promised to send staff members to support our border coast guard.
They promised to give money to support the camps in Lebanon and Jordan.
They promised to give money for African funds to change a little bit the situation there.
They are obliged to work on humanitarian visas.
So the plan is there.
It's now time to bring that plan into practice.
I believe we do have enough funding.
But we can question the way that we're using that funding currently.
Are we using it right, efficiently, and transparently?
That's the big question.
Because I have a hard time, personally, seeing where a lot of the money is going.
The controversial Turkey and Libya migrant deals are symptomatic of the formidable complexities
facing the EU.
The presidency must find a way to credibly improve the migration situation, while respecting
international law, and Europe's humanitarian rights obligations.
In Turkey there is a state, we could even say it is slightly too strong a state, but
in Libya there is not, so when we hear that European leaders want to negotiate with the
government they recognise in Libya, because there are several governments in Libya, which
border guards are we going to train?
The government supported by the European Union has no control over any border guards, no
coastguards.
We are dealing with an internationally recognised government, which we have acknowledged has
its problems.
Significant problems.
But it's not reason to abandon this government to its own means.
But it's actually a reason to engage even more.
We have to give the Libyan government the opportunity to implement this deal.
The difference between the EU-Libya and EU-Turkey deal is that for Libya, we don't have a concrete
operational plan yet.
I hope to see this plan as soon as possible.
In the overall deal, we forgot to put one thing - putting a limit on the number of people
arriving in the EU.
That's still missing, unfortunately.
Of course you can't compare the situation of Turkey with the situation of Libya.
And I'm quite convinced that even those who like the deal with Turkey can't say we can
do anything similar with Libya.
That is not possible.
But what we do need is more agreements between the European Union and those countries where
we do have stable governments, stable administration, where there's no war, no political persecution,
no torture, but simply poverty.
So we do need transparent readmission agreements with them.
And we have to work on giving them more possibilities for education and work.
Strengthening and streamlining the Common European Asylum System is a key migration
priority for Malta.
It's viewed as critical to ensuring a fair distribution of the migration load amongst
Member States.
Attempts to revise the Dublin Regulation, which sets out Member States' responsibilities
for examining asylum applications, is an intrinsic but highly politicised part of the presidency's
migration puzzle.
Deep sensitivities surround the relocation of 160,000 people in clear need of international
protection from Europe's Member States.
Solidarity has been missing in action.
You're speaking about solidarity.
On paper it looks very nice.
I will mention, for example, relocation where the Member States committed to relocate 160,000
migrants.
But so far, very very few migrants have been relocated.
And I believe that if there is one example where Member States can show this solidarity,
than this is it.
In an attempt to better coordinate Europe's migration response, Malta is assisting the
transformation of the European Asylum Support Office into a fully-fledged European agency.
Malta is advancing a holistic migration approach, incorporating internal and external EU dynamics.
The big picture success of Europe's migration strategy will depend on implementation of
the Valletta Summit migration agreement, and Europe's partnerships with African nations.
Do you think that Malta, as a frontline Member State in the migration crisis, has that extra
edge and extra understanding that can help achieve this approach?
I believe so, because we've been facing the issue of migration for quite a number of years.
For us this is not a new phenomenon.
We understand what solidarity would actually mean if it was present because we have had
issues where our asylum reception was stretched to the limit.
We know what it means to save lives and to make sure we help those people.
But we also want to have a situation where, when you look at other Member States, you
get that solidarity that you actually need.
Malta has done a lot of work in past years of taking refugees and even giving asylum.
So they do understand what is behind that.
They do understand what is going on in the different African countries.
And I can only hope that other Member States are listening to that and they focus on finding
solutions and supporting not only Malta, but even more Italy and Greece.
We felt for a very long time that, for example, what was happening in central Mediterranean
was being sidelined.
And I am sure that Malta, bringing together other countries who know what it means to
be facing migration in the central Mediterranean together, I think we can make a difference.
And I'm hopeful.
That's all for this month.
Next month, on "The Presidency", we take a closer look at how Malta is implementing the
presidency's security agenda.
Thanks for watching!