Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/513060
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 17 MAY 2015 News 11 cue 1,441 people in just 12 days in back-to-back sea rescues from unseaworthy boats in the central Mediterranean Sea. "MOAS sees itself as an extension of the coordinating centres. We are at their disposal just like any other vessel out at sea. The difference is that rescuing migrants is our pri- mary mission," he said. MY Phoenix, the vessel used by MOAS, is equipped with two drones which can fly up to 150 miles per hour, spotting and moni- toring distressed vessels. This year MOAS was given access to fly its drones with the Libyan flight in- formation region. Asked whether MOAS would be ready to provide any intelligence gathered through its drones, Xuer- eb said such a question was "very hypothetical". "There is no indication whatso- ever that Europe is going to ask third parties to provide it with in- telligence. We use our drones to assist us in our search and rescue missions," he said. 'Ridiculous' resettlement scheme Although the humanitarian as- pect takes a back seat, the docu- ment indicates a slight shift from the habitual Fortress Europe atti- tude to a more humanitarian ap- proach. "There must be safe and legal ways for them to reach the EU," the agenda says, adding that by the end of May the European Com- mission will propose an EU-wide resettlement scheme for 20,000 migrants who have been identified by the UN refugee agency as quali- fying for protection. However, in comments to Malta- Today, Integra Foundation direc- tor Maria Pisani dubbed the plan as ridiculous and inadequate. "The proposed 20,000 places is nothing short of ridiculous and the reasons for this hardly need ex- planation. Suffice it to say that the number of arrivals in Italy, Greece, Malta, not to mention other EU States at the external borders by far surpasses this number," she said. Pisani added that the number of arrivals to the EU is "a drop in the ocean" compared to the number of refugees being hosted by coun- tries such as Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt, pointing out that the vast majority of displaced people, some 86%, are hosted by the poorest countries in the world. "I would argue that responsibility for refugees must not be dictated by vicinity to a crisis," the humani- tarian NGO director said. The EU does acknowledge that while some EU countries have made a major contribution to glo- bal resettlement efforts, "others of- fer nothing and in many cases they are not making an alternative con- tribution in terms of receiving and accepting asylum requests or help- ing to fund the efforts of others." According to the proposed dis- tribution, which takes into ac- count GDP, size of population, unemployment rate, past numbers of asylum seekers and resettled refugees, and the efforts made on a voluntary basis by Member States, Malta is set to take in 138 migrants. But the recently re-elected UK home secretary, Theresa May, earned a rebuke by the commission after saying that Britain would not participate in the proposed man- datory EU resettlement scheme, indicating that some should be forcibly returned. Writing in The Times, May ar- gued that the EU should not en- courage migrants to make the perilous journeys across the Medi- terranean. "That is why the UK will not par- ticipate in a mandatory system of resettlement or relocation," she wrote. In reaction, commission vice- president Frans Timmermans said "what will make the situation worse is doing nothing. Inaction in the face of tragedy in the Mediter- ranean would destroy European credibility". concerns taint EU's plans on migration Good Morning MALTA When early and fast delivery is your priority As of 1st June, TNT Malta will be operating direct connections to and from their Euro Hub in Liege with the TNT-owned aircraft. With our international team of experts, we connect industries, businesses and people - everywhere, every day, every time. there is no better way to experience to power of our network and its people than by shipping with us. Contact us at: 2558 4600 www.tnt.com sales@tnt.com.mt Maria Pisani In the small Libyan port of Zuwara, one of the main points of departure for migrants, hundreds of fishing boats line the quay 'The international community must take specific action to address the humanitarian issue'