http://www.maltamedia.com/news/2005/gp/ ... 0647.shtml

Government & Politics
Nations to discuss illegal immigration
By MaltaMedia News
Jul 10, 2006, 09:59



Nearly 60 countries are expected to meet on Monday to discuss issues tied to illegal immigration. The countries are also expected to devise a new strategy to deal with the repeated influxes of illegal immigrants that have hit a number of European countries in the recent months. Malta is amongst such European countries, receiving up to 967 illegal immigrants since the beginning of the year.


According to the Financial Times the conference will he held in Morocco and include the participation of both African and European nations. Foreign Minister Michael Frendo will be attending on Malta's behalf.

The meeting was called as a response to incidents in Morocco last September where hundreds of African migrants tried to break the border fence separating the country from two Spanish enclaves - Ceuta and Melilla. Five people were shot dead and many others wounded in this instance.

In the recent months, the arrival of illegal immigrants in Europe from African countries has increased, so much so that the number of arrivals in Malta since January 2006 doubled when compared to those of January 2005. Speaking earlier this month Foreign Minister Michael Frendo stated "Since 20 June, Malta has witnessed the arrival of over 500 illegal immigrants from North Africa. This amount brings the number of illegal immigrants arriving in Malta since January 2006 to 967, almost double the figures of 473 last year.”

The Minister was speaking during a meeting with resident European Union (EU) Ambassadors in Malta where he insisted that the European Union should be supplying Malta with more aid with regards to the situation of illegal immigrant arrivals in Malta. This plea for aid was among several that the Minister made in the recent weeks. In fact, earlier on Minister Frendo insisted that “The European Union is dealing with Malta with the mentality of ‘small countries, small problems’ and this is unacceptable”.

In turn, later this month Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi will be meeting Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi to discuss Italy and Malta’s joint illegal immigration problem.