Fini to be asked to ‘intervene’ over joint migrant patrols
Karl Stagno-Navarra The Maltese government will ask Italy’s President of the Lower House to intervene with Prime Minsiter Silvio Berlusconi’s government to provide resources to the forthcoming EU-Frontex patrols in the Mediterranean.
Gianfranco Fini is expected in Malta today on a whirlwind one-day official visit, with meetings scheduled in Valletta with President George Abela, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, Speaker Louis Galea, Foreign Affairs minister Tonio Borg and Opposition leader Joseph Muscat.
Fini, one of Italy’s most respected politicians and former leader of Alleanza Nazionale, will also address the Parliamentary Committee for European and Foreign Affairs.
During his talks, both Prime Minister Gonzi and Minister Tonio Fenech are reportedly set to ask the influential Italian politician to intervene on Italy’s participation to the Mediterranean patrols.
Last week, Frontex Chief Ilka Laitinen announced a €9 million fund that will be specifically allocated to patrols to be held between April and October in the Mediterranean, South of Malta.
Code-named ‘Chronos’ – a shift from the previous Nautilus operations – the EU’s border agency Frontex will need the participation of EU Member States to be put in motion.
Last year, Italy chose not to participate in the patrols, leaving Malta alone to patrol the seas, while only Germany and Luxembourg participated with a contribution of helicopters and an aircraft respectively.
While migrant arrivals were relatively lower than the year before, mainly due to a dramatic change in policy adopted by the Italian government who reached an agreement with Tripoli for the immediate repatriation of migrants at sea, Malta and Italy locked horns on a number of occasions over who was responsible for the rescue of migrant boats in distress.
During May and June of last year, Italy and Malta soured their relations and invoked Brussels to intervene and to find a solution, while diplomats from both sides struggled to get the EU executive to impose an obligatory burden-sharing agreement with the 27 bloc.
While Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had resolved the issue with Silvio Berlusconi over a phone call last June, meetings between the two leaders on the sidelines of EU Summits held in Brussels have helped to heal the wounds, while further meetings at ministerial level between home and foreign affairs ministers continued to strengthen the intent of obtaining a clear policy from Europe on illegal migration.
Gianfranco Fini’s visit today is expected to confirm the good relations between Maltaand Italy, while he will also pave the way for a State Visit by the Italian President Giorgio Napolitano some time in April or May, while a visit to Malta by Silvio Berlusconi is also expected later in the year.
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