Mifsud Bonnici exploits Italy’s Libyan accord to forcefully repatriate migrants, UNHCR Chief Guterres ‘cancels’ meeting while Italy's foreign minister Franco Frattini uses MsF report to hit out at Lawrence Gonzi
Karl Stagno-Navarra Confusion reigns supreme in Malta’s relations with Italy, as both governments seem to be losing the “perfect tandem” announced last Sunday by Home Affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici.
A ‘surprise’ attempt by Rome last Monday to disembark 69 migrants in Malta after being rescued off Lampedusa by an Italian frigate, triggered more tensions, even though the issue was retracted by Rome a few hours after and downplayed by the Maltese government.
But the ‘perfect tandem’ was further shattered by comments made by Italy’s Foreign Minister Franco Frattini in yesterday’s influential ‘Corriere della Sera’ who was quoted as hitting back at Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s “disgust” at Italy’s alleged intransigence to saving migrant lives at sea.
Franco Frattini – who just two weeks ago expressed his intent of working closely with Malta on the issue of migration – lifted a copy of Médecins Sans Frontières and was quoted by the Corriere: “I am in possession of this report about the detention centres in Malta. It speaks about ‘inhuman treatment’, and includes photographs. They are prisons with bars. Chicken pens. As for children, they eat in a pig sty. This report is not Berlusconi’s, it’s MsF” he said.
Frattini’s remarks are reported to have irked Castille, while a senior Foreign Office official told this paper that Minister Tonio Borg “has no intention of replying.”
As the Italian media continued to lambaste Malta over migrants, Carm Mifsud Bonnici was doing all he could to keep focused on exploiting the current “unwritten” accord Italy says it has reached with Libya to forcefully repatriate migrants intercepted at sea.
Carm Mifsud Bonnici insists the Maltese government is intent on “strengthening the net” with Italy to block migrant boats from reaching the coast.
Speaking to MaltaToday, Carm Mifsud Bonnici expressed himself as “very eager” to travel to Libya with his Italian counterpart Roberto Maroni, in a bid to secure the same deal with the Ghaddafi regime.
But while Mifsud Bonnici says the two countries are working in perfect tandem, and that the Maltese government is intent on strengthening the net with Italy to block migrant boats, a senior Armed Forces officer has admitted with this newspaper that the ‘Plan of Action’ approved by Cabinet a week ago, invoking right of passage to migrants at sea towards their ultimate destination, “is still in force.”
Maltese patrol boats are the only naval assets deployed far south off Malta as part of the Frontex patrols, and are reported to have “sighted” and “assisted” at least four migrant boats during this week.
Both the government, and the Armed Forces have strongly denied that migrant boats intercepted by the Frontex patrols have been refuelled and ordered to turn back to Libya.
While he brushes away all the criticism levelled by humanitarian groups, Carm Mifsud Bonnici insists that media should steer away from being “unfair” to the Libyan authorities.
“During these last few months we have seen many positive developments from the Libyans, who are opening up to the European Union and are cooperating in a lot of sectors, illegal immigration being one of them,” he said.
But as Carm Mifsud Bonnici insists that he wants a repatriation agreement with Libya and remains defiant of all humanitarian organisations, he puts pressure on the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
Taking on UNHCR
Replying to UNHCR senior spokesperson Laura Boldrini who urged the Maltese government to “disown” Italy’s forced repatriation policy, Carm Mifsud Bonnici appealed to UNHCR “to stop talking” and rather “do more” to help countries like Malta and Italy who face the plight of illegal migration.
He insists that UNHCR should have a strong structure in Libya, from where it could process the thousands of African migrants who are seeking asylum, before they fall victims to the traffickers who steal all their money and place them on rickety boats to face the dangers at sea.
Carm Mifsud Bonnici was highly critical of the UNHCR High Commissioner Antonio Guterres, who has so far cancelled all the appointments he had scheduled with him in Geneva since last September, the most recent being last week.
But news of Italy’s repatriation policy and Malta’s eagerness to follow-suit, has sparked tensions within the migrant detention compounds on the island.
In Safi barracks, hundreds of migrants have expressed their concerns about such a policy, with many insisting that they would rather kill themselves rather than be sent back to Libya.
One migrant exposed his chest to show at least 10 scars inflicted on him by Libyan police, who allegedly beat him in detention.
“All African migrants are treated so bad in Libya, and the majority of us are Christian, that makes it even worse,” one migrant from Niger said.
Médecins sans Frontières Malta coordinator Philippa Farrugia explained that MsF has been trying hard to establish an office in Libya to take care of the welfare of African migrants, however as she says, “it is very difficult.”
MsF has spoken to hundreds of African migrants currently held in detention in Malta who spoke of “terrible, horrific stories” they have had to succumb to.
“Women speak of rapes in prison, while young boys are tortured for no reason. Many men are just forgotten in cells and left to their own fate, with no food, water, access to medical assistance,” she said.
Brussels discusses
But as Malta and Italy continue to quarrel with each other, the European Commission has thwarted an attempt by Italy to summon an emergency summit to specifically discuss the problem of illegal immigration.
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini – who was until last year the EU’s Commissioner responsible for migration issues – said that whatever Brussels says, “now is the time for an emergency summit to discuss illegal migration,”
But Frattini’s request was immediately shot down by EU Commissioner Jacques Barrot’s spokesman in Brussels who addressed the media and said, “for now, the ideal place to discuss this matter is within the Council of Home Affairs ministers.”
This remark was immediately replied to by Frattini, who said, “European heads of government will have to answer for what will happen when boatloads laden with 500 migrants will start landing on Lampedusa. What are we going to do?” he concluded.
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