International efforts were underway on Wednesday to resolve a stand-off between Spain and Malta which has left 51 African migrants stranded at sea for six days. Malta is refusing to allow a Spanish trawler which picked up the migrants to dock, despite criticism from the United Nations. European Union Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini said he had spoken with Spanish, Italian and Maltese ministers. He said the trawler had done a "fantastic" job but that Malta needed help to deal with migration pressures. The Maltese government insists the Eritrean men, women and children on board are Spain's or Libya's concern. It claims the boat is Spanish and the rescue was made in Libya's search-and-rescue zone. A Spanish junior foreign minister, Bernardino Leon, said that two Spanish inspectors said the condition of the immigrants was deteriorating. A pregnant woman and mother and child were temporarily taken off the trawler to receive medical treatment, but were taken back later. | "Back on the boat, Toots." |
The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, has told the Maltese authorities to let the migrants disembark urgently. But Malta says it cannot deal with any more illegal immigrants and needs the EU to help. Almost 1,000 immigrants have landed on Malta, which has a total population of 400,000, since January. | The refugee numbers are fairly staggering, and aren't really reported all that well. I don't envy the Euro authorities these problems. But I won't hesitate to deplore them (with the good stationery) if they dare to act in the interest of the citizens of their own nations. |
Frattini said the European Union was about to launch a mission to patrol the Mediterranean near Malta. He also announced plans to set up a system for sending rapid reaction border guard teams to countries facing a migration crisis. He added that the Spanish minister of foreign affairs had proposed a solution to the current standoff, but he said he did not want to predict what the final outcome would be. Spain has seen 11,000 African immigrants arrive in the Canary Islands this year, provoking a crisis as resources have been stretched. |