Malta together with fellow Mediterannean countries Greece, Italy and Spain insisted that mandatory quotas for sharing out people who qualify for refugee status among the 27 EU countries must be pursued.
“The front-line member states cannot face the migratory pressure on the whole European Union,” the four countries said in a paper sent to the European Commission, the European Council and Germany, which currently holds the rotating Presidency.
In the paper, the four countries have expressed concern that new proposals to revamp the EU’s asylum system will continue to leave them to cope with the challenge alone.
The standoff could further delay the long-awaited asylum reform plans.
In the text, seen by The Associated Press, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain argue that their responsibilities as countries where most unauthorized migrants arrive across the Mediterranean Sea are strict and clear in the “New Pact for Migration and Asylum,” but that the duties of their EU partners are not.
“The solidarity mechanism remains complex and vague. “The notion of mandatory relocation should remain and be pursued as the main solidarity tool,” the countries said.
via AP News
