Berlusconi blows his top as EU questions Malta and Italy over fate of deported Somali migrants. Gonzi’s position? ‘No comment’
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi refused to comment yesterday on remarks made by his centre-right colleague, Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, who threatened to ‘block the European Union’s workings’ in retaliation to a Commission request for clarifications from Rome and Valletta over the latest forced repatriation of migrants to Libya.
Until late last night, the Office of the Prime Minister had no comment to make following Silvio Berlusconi’s outburst against the way EU Commission spokesmen were being “instrumentally” used to politicize issues such as the migration problem.
“We will not give our vote anymore, we will just block the ordinary workings of the EU and will ask for the resignation en-bloc of the college of Commissioners,” a fiery Berlusconi said, adding that this would be Italy’s response to a system where spokespersons talk instead of the President of the European Commission.
Both Italy and Malta have been asked by the European Commission to give “explanations” of what is happening on the high seas, following the recent interception by a Maltese patrol boat of a dinghy laden with Somali migrants and later escorted to Italian waters, where they were handed over to the Guardia di Finanza and then forcefully repatriated to Libya.
However, until yesterday night, the Prime Minister’s office told this newspaper that it “could not trace” any official correspondence sent by the European Commission to the Maltese government over the issue.
The migrants – who refused to be taken to Malta – pleaded with the Italians not to be taken back to Libya and used their satellite phones to call fellow Somalis in Malta and in Italy to do all they could to stop the Italians from taking them back to Libya.
While the European Commission is today expected to announce a proposed “harmonized” policy intended to strengthen the principle of burden sharing of migrants among all member states, the European Commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger insisted that through the requested “clarifications”, the EU was not pointing any finger towards Malta nor Italy.
“We will continue to work with both countries on all fronts, especially on immigration issues,” Laitenberger said, while expressing his surprise at Silvio Berlusconi’s statements.
Since June, Italy has forcefully repatriated more than 1,000 migrants to Libya, many of them having been initially intercepted by Maltese patrol boats.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed concern over this tough policy, reminding the Italian and the Maltese government on the principle of non-refoulement, where states are called upon not to deport persons to countries where their basic rights cannot be guaranteed.
The Maltese government has lauded the agreement reached between Italy and Libya for the forceful repatriation of migrants, stating that this was a counter measure to stop criminal organizations from exploiting the vulnerable.
Also, the Maltese government has proposed the setting up of a migrant reception centre in Libya: a proposal that has since garnered no reactions from Libya, but cautious remarks from humanitarian organisations who still question Libya’s human rights track record.
The recent interceptions at sea of migrants by Maltese patrol boats, which later accompanied them towards Italian waters, have continued to jeopardise relations between the two Mediterranean and European partners and neighbours, with both sides exchanging salvoes over the rules of engagement during migrant rescues.
While the Italian media continued to lambast Malta, the Maltese government has sent a dossier to inquiring magistrates in Lampedusa who are investigating the controversial rescue of five Eritrean migrants last month.
The magistrates have threatened Malta and the AFM with indictments for omission of rescue and multiple volontary homicide.
A television crew from Berlusconi’s Mediaset channel Italia Uno is currently in Malta reporting for ‘Le Iene’, taking to task government ministries and the AFM on the methods applied at sea when intercepting migrants.
Meanwhile, the AFM operations room in Luqa has received another alert from a Somali migrant, who reported an SOS received on his cell phone from fellow Somalis who claim to be stalled at sea.
A senior AFM officer said last night that there is a look-out for this boat, reportedly carrying 80 passengers, but its whereabouts are still unknown.
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