Is-solidarjetà importanti

1.    Tul il-perjodu li fih ġejt inkarigat nara l-problemi u l-konsegwenzi li jitwieldu mill-immigrazzjoni irregolari u illegali, rajt tibdil fi ħdan l-Unjoni Ewropea.  F’dawn l-erba’ snin saru passi ‘l quddiem, li permezz tagħhom daħlu mekkaniżmi ta’ solidarjetà, li qabel ma kinux jeżistu.  Il-bidu prinċipali kien definittivament il-Patt Ewropew dwar l-Immigrazzjoni u l-Ażil li sar fit-tieni nofs tas-sena 2008 taħt il-Presidenza Franċiża.  Il-punt kruċjali kien marbut mal-introduzzjoni għall-ewwel darba ta’ klawsola ta’ solidarjetà, li permezz tagħha jinbena programm għar-rilokazzjoni ta’ persuni li huma rifuġjati jew protetti minn pajjiż għall-ieħor tal-Unjoni.

2.    Niftakar li fil-laqgħat li kelli ma’ numru ta’ uffiċjali għolja u Ministri, f’diversi mumenti kienu jaqtgħuli qalbi li qatt ser jirnexxi li Stat fl-Unjoni jassisti ieħor b’dan il-mod.  Biss b’ħafna impenn dirett, dak li kien jidher diffiċli, sar.  Mill-Patt, li sfortunatament diversi f’pajjiżna għamlu l-iżball li maqdru, imxejna ‘l quddiem.  L-ewwel, sar proġett pilota biex persuni jiġu meħuda minn pajjiżi oħra u jibdew ħajja ġdida hemm.  Mhux biss, imma parti mill-Patt stabbilixxa wkoll it-twaqqif tal-Uffiċċju Ewropew għas-Sostenn fil-Qasam tal-Ażil (European Asylum Support Office jew EASO) bħala għodda importanti f’dan is-settur.

3.    Fortunatament għalina, wara l-ħidma u l-impenn dirett tagħna, il-Kunsill tal-Ministri tal-UE, f’deċiżjoni unika għax ittieħdet mill-ewwel laqgħa, għażel lil pajjiżna sabiex dan l-Uffiċċju jiġi stabbilit fih.  Dak il-pass, illum, beda jservi tajjeb lill-Unjoni u lilna partikolarment.  Hawn issa għandna ċentru ta’ attività li qiegħed diġà jħaddem numru ta’ persuni li permezz tiegħu qed naraw ġid soċjali u ekonomiku.  L-EASO qiegħed avvjat fit-triq it-tajba li permezz tagħha dan is-suġġett, bil-kumplikazzjonijiet kollha tiegħu, jista’ jinstablu tarf.

4.    Il-proġett pilota ġie segwit minn ieħor li żviluppa fl-aħħar sena li għaddiet fl-isfond tal-kriżi Libjana.  Hekk li mxejna sabiex ikun hemm rilokazzjoni ta’ iktar persuni, mhux biss lejn il-pajjiżi membri tal-Unjoni, imma anke ta’ oħrajn bħan-Norveġja, l-Isvizzera u l-Lichtenstein.  Għalhekk illum għandna quddiemna esperjenza li qatt qabel ma kellna u li fuqha nistgħu nibnu kapitoli ġodda fis-solidarjetà.  Ovvjament, mhux kull Stat jaqbel.  Hemm uħud li jaħsbu li dan iservi għar-raġunijiet żbaljati, però l-maġġoranza għandha opinjoni differenti.

5.    Proprju fuq dan li fl-aħħar laqgħa tal-Kunsill tal-Ministri tal-Intern li sar nhar il-Ħamis 8 ta’ Marzu, kien hemm qbil ġdid.  Il-Presidenza Daniża rnexxielha tasal għall-konklużjonijiet tal-Kunsill fuq dak li qed jissejjaħ bħala ‘Konklużjonijiet tal-Kunsill dwar qafas komuni għal solidarjetà ġenwina u prattika lejn Stati Membri li qed jiffaċċjaw pressjonijiet partikolari fuq is-sistemi tal-ażil tagħhom inkluż permezz ta' flussi migratorji mħalltin’.  Waslu f’dikjarazzjoni ċara li hemm bżonn li jkomplu jiġu meħuda linji ta’ ħidma biex is-solidarjetà f’dan is-settur delikat u diffiċli jiġu ssudati.

6.    Dawn il-konklużjonijiet qegħdin, għal darb’oħra, jistabbilixxu prinċipji f’dokument tal-Unjoni Ewropea li għandna nkomplu naħdmu fuqhom fis-snin li ġejjin.  Għalhekk qed naraw, fost l-oħrajn, solidarjetà f’sitwazzjonijiet ta’ emerġenza, f’mekkaniżmi ta’ koperazzjoni, fl-aspetti finanzjarji, fir-rilokazzjoni, fir-ripatriju ta’ persuni li m’għandhomx status ta’ rifuġjati u fil-koperazzjoni ta’ pajjiżi ta’ oriġini u transitu u li fihom isiru l-ewwel applikazzjonijiet għall-ażil.  Determinanti f’dan ser ikun ħidmet l-aġenziji FRONTEX u EASO.  Għalina, id-dokument huwa kollu importanti u, f’ħafna sens, tweġiba għall-ħidma li ilna nwettqu kostantement f’dan is-settur.  Is-solidarjetà hija importanti però altru titkellem dwarha u altru tfassal pjan ta’ ħidma għaliha.  Hawn qed nimbarkaw iktar ‘il quddiem fuq programm interessanti li minnu pajjiżna għandu jibbenefika sew.

Pajjiżna fil-bidu ta’ din is-sena

Robert Visser (xellug), Kap tal-EASO

1.    Hemm tradizzjoni importanti li sena wara sena tiġi miżmuma f’pajjiżna.  Il-Korp Diplomatiku, jiġifieri l-Ambaxxaturi ta’ diversi nazzjonijiet barranin akkreditati magħna, ta’ kull Jannar jiltaqgħu mal-ogħla awtorità Maltija: il-President tar-Repubblika, il-Prim Ministru u l-Viċi Prim Ministru u Ministru tal-Affarijiet Barranin.  Fiċ-ċerimonji li jsiru, isiru diskorsi importanti fejn iż-żewġ naħat iħarsu lura lejn is-sena li għaddiet u ‘l quddiem lejn dak li wieħed jipprevedi li jkun ġej.  Għalkemm kif jiġri fil-jum partikolari l-mezzi tal-aħbarijiet jagħtu xi forma ta’ importanza, però ħafna drabi dak li jingħad, jew jintesa, inkella ma jiġix rapportat fis-sħiħ.

2.    Kif inhija l-prattika, il-persuna li jissejjaħ id-Dekan tal-Korp Diplomatiku jitkellem għan-nom tal-Ambaxxaturi kollha.  Id-Dekan huwa n-Nunzju Appostoliku preżenti, Monsinjur Tommaso Caputo, li nhar il-Ġimgħa 20 ta’ Jannar għamel id-diskors tajjeb tiegħu.  Min kien preżenti seta’ jara kemm f’dak il-jum isir eżerċizzju importanti li permezz tiegħu jsiru riflessjonijiet ta’ ċertu piż.  Ħafna drabi d-diskors tad-Dekan huwa fir-realtà viżjoni ċara ta’ kif jarawna dawk li m’humiex ċittadini ta’ dawn il-gżejjer.

3.    Ħafna drabi aħna stess ma nifhmux sewwa dak li aħna u dak li huwa l-valur li nirrappreżentaw fix-xenarju Ewropew, Mediterranju u internazzjonali.  Għalhekk tajjeb li wieħed jisma’ opinjonijiet iffurmati kif għandhom ikunu biex nisiltu punti li fuqhom nistgħu nieħdu miżuri aqwa biex immexxu ‘l quddiem dan il-poplu.  Ngħid dan għax in-Nunzju Appostoliku ddikjara numru ta’ punti li ser inġib għall-attenzjoni tagħkom.  Huwa f’dan qal “As we carry out day-to-day diplomatic duties, we cannot fail to note that Malta possesses a wealth of human resources, as well as of perennial values.  These, when translated into the public domain, bear witness to the ‘political charity’ which in effect promotes the integral quality of life of a whole people.  Its consequences reach far beyond the shores of these Islands”.  U kompla: “we have seen how solidarity has been the light guiding Your Government in the demanding circumstances of  2011, where both at home and abroad you put into practice this universal principle”.  Ċertifikat mill-iktar ċar u evidenti ta’ dak li wettaqna bil-fatti u li l-pajjiżi barranin iħossuhom fid-dmir li jirrikonoxxu.

4.    Biss dan huwa kollu bbażat fuq il-fatti u mhux fuq l-impressjonijiet jew il-perċezzjonijiet.  Pajjiżna ħa ħsieb jimxi ‘l quddiem u jagħmel atti ta’ solidarjetà mingħajr ma kien rgħib jew li b’xi mod qagħad lura milli jgħin lil dawk li kienu verament fil-bżonn.  Dan in-Nunzju u Dekan irrikonoxxa b’mod l-iktar ċar li ħdimna tajjeb u sehemna kien ferm ikbar mill-qies tagħna jew minn dak li ħaddieħor jippretendi minna.  Jista’ jkun li f’pajjiżna stess ikun hemm min minn fostna jmaqdar dak li għamilna, biss il-fatti huma l-kontra.  Iż-żejt jitla’ f’wiċċ l-ilma.  Veru trid tistennih, imma jitla’.

5.    Di fatti l-Korp Diplomatiku kompla billi faħħarna fis-settur tal-immigrazzjoni irregolari f’żewġ punti importanti.  L-ewwel, fl-għajnuna li aħna konna kapaċi nagħtu meta ngħad hekk: “It is also well-known how Malta provided assistance in dealing with the influx of illegal immigrants that are still reaching these Islands.  In this respect Your Government, Honourable Prime Minister, has left no stone unturned in invoking international cohesion and burden-sharing in dealing with this phenomenon”.  Fit-tieni punt issir referenza għall-ftuħ tal-Uffiċċju Ewropew għas-Sostenn fil-Qasam tal-Ażil, dak li nafuh bħala l-“EASO”, li seħħ fis-sajf tas-sena li għaddiet.  Fuq dan ingħad hekk: “The European Union’s Asylum Support Office which opened in Malta last June contributes to the task of streamlining asylum policies and improving cooperation between authorities”.

6.    Hemm punti oħra li tqajmu f’dak il-jum, però deherli li għandi niġbed l-attenzjoni għal dawn għax, sfortunatament, hemm min jipprova jnessi.  Mhux biss, huwa daqshekk ieħor importanti li nirreġistraw mal-poplu tagħna li dak li twettaq, u għadu qed jitwettaq minn dan il-Gvern, ħaqqu tifħir.  Ħaqqu li jiġi rikonoxxut u mogħti l-post li rnexxilu jakkwista mhux b’kumbinazzjoni, imma sforz ix-xogħol u d-direzzjoni politika li ta dan il-Prim Ministru li għandna.  Pajjiżna għandu ħafna kredtu barra vantaġġi kbar li m’għandhomx, b’xi mod, jintilfu hawn.

Asylum office is step forward

Sunday, June 19, 2011 , by

Carm Mifsud Bonnici

Since Malta joined the EU on May 1, 2004, at least two major steps forward towards European integration have been made, namely accession to the Schengen area and the adoption of the euro as our national currency.

The Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs was a major stakeholder with respect to Schengen accession. Today, it has the honour of seeing another initiative in which it played a leading role come to fruition – the inauguration of the European Asylum Support Office in Malta.

The unanimous decision for the European Asylum Support Office to be located in Malta was taken on November 30, 2009, at the Justice and Home Affairs Council, pursuant to a proposal by the Commission to establish such an office.

The Commission proposal itself was in direct response to the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum, which provided for the establishment of a European support office with the task of facilitating the exchange of information, analyses and experience among member states, and developing practical cooperation between the administrations in charge of examining asylum applications.

In fact, the European Asylum Support Office will seek to facilitate, coordinate and strengthen practical cooperation among member states on the many aspects of asylum, as well as to provide operational support to EU members subjected to strong pressure on their asylum systems.

Needless to say, Malta stands to benefit from such provisions, particularly in the context of the renewed migratory flows being experienced this year as a result of the crisis in Libya. Indeed, the European Asylum Support Office is expected to take an active and leading role in future intra-EU resettlement initiatives.
The European Asylum Support Office is expected to initially employ 40 persons at its premises in Marsa, with the staff complement increasing gradually to between 80 and 100 by 2013. Apart from the obvious economic benefits, Malta naturally stands to gain in enhanced exposure and status that inevitably follow in the wake of the setting up of a prestigious EU agency.

Today’s inauguration of the European Asylum Support Office is therefore a historic occasion for Malta that provides further tangible evidence of Malta’s meaningful presence in the Europe Union.

This achievement has been made possible thanks to the dedication and hard work of many. Their efforts have paid dividends, and another step has been made in the process of European integration.

However, this is not only an achievement for Malta, but for the European Union as a whole. The establishment of the European Asylum Support Office constitutes recognition of the fact that asylum requires a Europe-wide approach, as opposed to a purely national approach, a point that the government has consistently stressed.

It is not sufficient for the European Union to set asylum standards while leaving member states alone to cope with the ­pressures involved; Europe’s approach must also be hands-on. This indeed is precisely what the European Asylum Support Office will set out to do.

The establishment of the European Asylum Support Office is particularly important in the context of current developments in the legislative sphere at the European level, as the European Union is working on the establishment of a Common European Asylum System.

De facto such a system can only yield the desired results if all the member states work together and if those facing disproportionate asylum pressures, like Malta, are provided with the necessary assistance in a spirit of solidarity.

Clearly, such actions do not only benefit individual member states, but also beneficiaries of international protection who have escaped persecution or violence in their countries of origin.

Our objective, as a Union, is to establish a Europe of asylum, and today marks a very significant step forward in that direction. I am proud of the key role that Malta is playing in this regard, a role fully consistent with the country’s excellent track record in the field of humanitarian assistance.

I, therefore, look forward to seeing the European Asylum Support Office expand its operational activities in the coming months. The government will continue supporting the office as necessary in order to ensure that our shared objectives are met.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici is Minister for Justice and Home Affairs.