Gonzi-Berlusconi in Rome talks dominated by migration

Illegal immigration dominated talks held today in Rome between Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Other issues discussed during the formal talks followed by lunch included oil exploration in areas which both countries consider as their own, a cable to link Malta to the European power grid, environmental and EU issues.

On illegal immigration, Sig Berlusconi said he was surprised when he was told about the high ratio of illegal immigrants relative to the population in Malta. He committed himself to help present Malta's argument in the EU on the need for burden-sharing.

He also explained measures being taken by Italy to ease the migration problem, including the transfer to Libya of six patrol boats to patrol the Libyan coast. The two leaders, accompanied by their respective foreign ministers, also discussed the role of Frontex patrols in the Mediterranean.

On oil exploration in areas of the continental shelf claimed by both Malta and Italy, the two prime ministers agreed that they would communicate directly on the issue over the coming months to break an impasse which has existed for 40 years.

Both leaders hailed the healthy relationship between the two countries and promised to further cooperate with each other.

Sig Berlusconi said Italy was backing Malta's bid to host the secretariat of the newly launched Mediterranean Union, given Malta's geographic location.

Meanwhile, in Brussels, Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici expressed Malta’s backing for initiatives being taken by the EU’s French presidency to counter illegal immigration.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said, however, that Malta would continue to insist that the proposed immigration pact should include a mechanism for burden-sharing between all the member states, not least because Malta was carrying too big a burden.

Malta also proposed an amendment to the proposed pact, calling for real solidarity and a sharing of responsibility between the member states through a system where the member states would voluntarily assume responsibility for persons who would have been granted protection by a member state that would already by unduly burdened by migration.

French Minister Brice Hortefeux reiterated her backing to the principle of burden sharing and the need for this to be included in the final text.