Maltese and Italian ports will be the designated disembarkation spots on a rotation basis, if an agreement reached between five countries in Malta earlier this week will be implemented, Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia said.
If one country’s port is overcrowded, migrants would be taken to the next port on the list, he said on national TV station programme Ras imb’ras.
Farrugia was speaking about a give-country agreement that was reached last Monday involving Italy, Germany, France and Finland, and which will be presented to the other home affairs ministers next month.
“There will be a number of Mediterranean ports designated for disembarkation and a number of countries designated for relocation,” he said.
Farrugia said that only Germany and France have maintained their commitment to take migrants under distribution pacts reached when the small EU nation permitted their disembarkation from humanitarian rescue ships.
Farrugia said that half of the migrants remain in Malta, despite deals brokered through the EU. He urged the EU and other nations to fulfil their pledges. He said the delay in relocation is putting “great pressure” on the detention centre where the migrants are held.
On Wednesday, migrants being kept in the centre hung up banners demanding their release in a peaceful protest. The 800 migrants being held at the Hal Safi centre include migrants rescued at sea by Maltese armed forces.
Any member states that sign the new migration deal could trigger an emergency clause if such a deal proved fruitless, he said.
If the deal attracted further asylum-seekers and contributed to a “pull-factor”, a clause within the agreement allowed the signatories to go back to the drawing board.
“The position paper we drafted also stipulates a number of rules for NGO vessels. Some ships are not equipped to carry out rescues and we cannot keep having flag states which register a boat but then refuse to claim responsibility for it.”
Farrugia said that while some member states are expected to sign, others are not so receptive.
