Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/643092
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 2016 4 News First migrants to be relocated to Malta MIRIAM DALLI FIFTEEN asylum seekers identified by the Italian authorities under the European Union's relocation pro- gramme will be arriving in Malta on Tuesday, MaltaToday is informed. The 15 migrants represent just 11% of 131 asylum seekers whom Malta pledged to take from Greece and Italy. In September last year, EU mem- ber states agreed to the relocation of 160,000 asylum seekers and refu- gees from Italy and Greece. The process has been very slow, with a total of 497 refugees relocated so far. The first group to land in Malta – all names were selected by the Ital- ians– have undergone the neces- sary security checks by the Maltese authorities. Upon their arrival, the normal procedures will kick in: the asylum seekers will be temporarily accommodated at an initial recep- tion facility after which they will be offered the possibility to stay in an open accommodation centre. Once at the open centre, as the migration policy specifies, residents will also be offered integration- oriented courses. As they seek work, also through the provision of courses addressing skills gaps, the refugees will receive an allowance intended to cover daily expenses, such as meals and transport. The EU programme, which ex- posed divisions among member states and was approved after months of intense negotiations, was meant to help EU countries cope with a sudden influx of migrants and refugees most affected by mi- gration crisis. All of the countries, with the ex- ception of UK and Denmark, agreed to relocate people from Greece and Italy. Eurostat data showed that the top three origins of people who ap- plied for asylum in the EU between October 2014 and October 2015 were from Syria, Afghanistan and Kosovo. 6,760 waiting to buy grave 6,760 applicants are waiting to buy a grave in various cemeteries around Malta, with the Addol- orata Cemetery facing the biggest number of requests. MEPA has approved an exten- sion for 2,280 new graves at the Addolorata, which will be sited at Tal-Horr. The site, for years subject to extensive dumping, abuts the cemetery at the south- ern flank. The addition of new graves has long been in the works, with promises of 2,000 new polots dating back to before the 2008 general elections. Excavation works costing €1.5 million were abruptly stopped in December 2010 and the MEPA permit even- tually expired. With a pressing waiting list, the government in 2012 announced plans to sell 3,000 graves, each for €5,000 – although a PQ re- vealed that the real cost would be €8,000. Following the public call, 369 promise-of-sale agreements were signed with applicants against a deposit of €2,500. The three-year agreements were however never registerd with the Lands Department. Health parliamentary secretary Chris Fearne reassured that all legal commitments would be honoured and, where necessary, extended. "A process is currently underway to register all promise- of-sale agreements signed by the previous administration," Fearne said. The extension of the cemetery will include the original semi- circular plaza designed by archi- tect Emanuele Luigi Galizia. To maximise burial space, the graves have been designed to consist of four tiers with an ossuary below. Over 55 additional car parking spaces will be created along the road leading to the cemetery. 'Speaker's person of trust' CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Frendo's wife Caroline Farrugia Frendo is set to be appointed magistrate within the coming weeks. She was nominated by the govern- ment at the beginning of Febru- ary, garnering controversy for the fact that she was at least a month short of the minimum seven years of being a lawyer to qualify for the magistrates' bench. MaltaToday has reported that Farrugia Frendo's nomination was a sop to her father after he made it clear to his close asso- ciates that he was interested in being nominated by the govern- ment to be a member of the Eu- ropean Court of Auditors. Her nomination came just days after Prime Minister Joseph Muscat picked the deputy leader for party affairs, Toni Abela, for the Luxembourg posting. Farrugia then laughed off a direct question on the matter from The Sunday Times a week after MaltaToday's report. "You know me well enough," he said, opting out of a clear denial. The nomination of Farrugia's daughter to a post that grants her security of tenure for 32 years has only raised questions over the Labour administra- tion's style in keeping harmo- nious relations among the top brass. Farrugia was unceremoniously asked to step aside as deputy leader in December 2012 – on the eve of a general election – and make way for a new deputy leader, after a disastrous TV performance against his Na- tionalist counterpart, then PN deputy leader Simon Busuttil. Farrugia, who said the move was an act of "political murder", was later appointed Speaker short- ly after Labour was elected in March 2013. According to the UNHCR over 82,000 people reached Europe by sea since the start of 2016 Eric Frendo was employeed at Parliament in 2014