European countries should help migrants fleeing persecution, but economic migrants who do not follow proper channels and come here illegally should be sent back, in line with international law, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Sunday.
He said he would tell EU leaders at the informal summit on migration that they should be together on the same side rather than duelling on the internet.
“We are on the same side, playing about on Facebook and twitter will not get us anywhere. We need to act seriously, but everyone needs to follow the rules,” Dr Muscat told a One Radio interviewer.
He said that while he did not expect solutions at the summit, he expected a step forward.
The informal summit will be held on Sunday afternoon and will be followed by the formal EU summit over the coming days.
In his comments, Dr Muscat said a clear distinction had to be drawn between “genuine asylum seekers”, and economic migrants who were simply looking for a better life.
“When it comes to those fleeing persecution, or war, we should not only allow them in, but also proactively help them get out of harm’s way. On the other hand, there are others, who make up the majority of migrant arrivals today, who are economic migrants - people who are not being persecuted, but are simply looking for a better life,” he said.
Dr Muscat said that while economic migrants had every right to try and find a better life, they would have to do so through regular channels. Those who did otherwise, should be “sent back” in conformity with international law, he said.
The prime minister said the hot topic of migration was both a humanitarian issues, as well as a security matter.
He did not agree with those who argued that migration was one or the other.
“We must have a human face when dealing with this subject, but we have to protect our frontiers. It can’t be a free-for-all,” he said, adding that the “national interest” was a priority for him.
Meanwhile, in comments to The Sunday Times of Malta, Dr Muscat said Malta will stick to its position on migration at the summit.
“There will be Member States which will scramble to change their position. Malta will not be one of them.
“Our position has always been consistent, advocating a European solution with both humanitarian and security facets. Removing one element from the other might be ideologically enticing but practically equates to inertia.”
Sunday’s Brussels meeting is being attended by 16 EU Member States including Malta, Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Bulgaria, Germany and Austria, a few days before an EU summit which is expected to be dominated by migration.
The Prime Minister said that no wall, “even if we manage to erect one on the high seas”, is a solution on its own.
“We need to differentiate between genuine asylum seekers and economic migrants, creating humanitarian corridors for the former, and implementing effective returns for the latter. We need to clamp down on illegal trafficking of people and rules that must be observed by all, both states and organisations.
“Finally, those believing in Europe must step up to show solidarity. I speak as a leader of one of the very few Member States which has fully implemented its obligations when called to voluntarily do so. Solidarity is not the reverse of resolve or loving one’s country. Quite the opposite,” he said.
Italy’s veiled Interconnector threat
Asked in the radio interview about the recent controversy surrounding Italy’s linking of the migration crisis to the interconnector, Dr Muscat said this was mostly a “television quip” meant to impress those who weren’t well informed of the facts.
Italy’s deputy Prime Minister last week cranked the country’s sabre-rattling against Malta up a notch, linking tensions over sea rescues of migrants to Sicily providing electricity to Malta through the interconnector.
Dr Muscat said Malta did not buy electricity from Italy, but the power was supplied via cables through Italy.
In the unlikely event of anyone in Italy deciding to flip the switch, Malta would still have enough electrical power, thanks to the new power station which some had said Malta did not need, he said.
Had the switch been flicked before the new power station was built, Malta would have ended up with half the island in the dark, Dr Muscat said.
Time up for trapping
Dr Muscat also weighed in on the European Court of Justice Judgement outlawing the trapping of finches.
The prime minister said the government was still analysing the judgement, which he described as being a tough one.
Love or hate labour, he said, it was a party that delivered on its promises -as opposed to Nationalist Party that said a lot and but often did the opposite.
“Trapping had stopped in the past, despite promises made by the PN that it would stay,” he said.
The country could not appeal the ECJ judgement, not could it break the law and allow trapping to continue.
“This government won’t make promises it can’t deliver on. We keep our promises,” he said.