Following the visits of EU Commission Presidential hopefuls, Juncker and Schultz, to Malta, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson, Prof. Arnold Cassola, said: “It is good to see that, in their recent visits to Malta, both Jean Claude Juncker and Martin Schultz emphasised that they will take seriously into consideration what the Greens have been saying for years, i.e that Europe should provide legal means of entering into Europe directly from third countries through the issuance of visas in these third countries, without having to do that in an illegal or irregular way, and also that the Dublin regulations have to be changed in order to allow migrants landing in places like Malta to be able to move on to other EU countries.

“It is a pity that such proposals were not inserted black on white in the EPP and Socialist Electoral manifestos for the European elections but are only mentioned now at the last moment by Schultz and Juncker,” concluded Prof. Cassola.

Alternattiva Demokratika Deputy Chairperson, Carmel Cacopardo, said: “The fundamental thing here is that the migration problem should be seen as a European issue and not as a national one, as it haw been treated till now. Individual countries must abandon their nationalistic, egoistic approach to the issue and start agreeing on a common European approach. It is most heartening to hear Martin Schultz saying that migration should be the responsibility of the whole European Union and not only of the frontier countries, like Malta, Italy or Greece.

“It is now the task of Schultz or Juncker, if and when elected, to ensure that the 28 Prime ministers of Europe, most of them coming from the EPP or Socialist families, listen to what the two Presidential candidates are proposing and start implementing this common European migration policy, which is the only way in which this serious issue can be tackled.”

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Wara ż-żjajjar f’Malta tal-kandidati għall-Presidenza tal-Kummissjoni Ewropeja, Juncker u Schultz, ic-Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, Prof. Arnold Cassola, qal: “Nieħdu gost naraw li, waqt iż-żjajjar riċenti tagħhom f’Malta, kemm Jean Claude Juncker kif ukoll Martin Schultz, emfasizzaw li ser jieħdu bis-serjeta dak li l-Greens ilhom jgħidu għal hafna snin, jiġifieri li l-Ewropa għandha tipprovdi mezzi legali għal dħul dirett fl-Ewropa minn pajjiżi barra l-Ewropa billi joħorgu visas għal dawn il-pajjiżi minghajr ma jkollhom jagħmlu dan b’mod illegali jew irregolari, u wkoll li r-regoli ta’ Dublin iridu jinbidlu biex immigranti li jaslu f’pajjiżi bhal Malta jkunu jistgħu jitilqu lejn pajjiżi oħra tal-UE.

“Hija ħasra li proposti bħal dawn ma kinux inklużi iswed fuq l-abjad fil-manifesti għall-elezzjonijiet Ewropej tal-PPE u tas-Soċjalisti imma ġew imsemmija issa fl-aħħar mument minn Schultz u Juncker,” temm jgħid Prof. Cassola.

Id-deputat Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika ,Carmel Cacopardo, qal: “Il-kwistjoni fundamentali hawn hija li l-problema tal-migrazzjoni irridu narawha bħala kwistjoni Ewropea u mhux bħala wahda nazzjonali, bhal ma kienet meqjusa s’issa. Pajjiżi individwali iridu jabbandunaw l-attitudni nazzjonalista u egoista li dejjem kellhom lejn din il-kwistjoni u jibdew jaqblu fuq pożizzjoni komuni Ewropeja. Tiehu r-ruħ tisma’ lil Martin Schultz jgħid li l-migrazzjoni għandha tkun ir-responsabbilita’ tal-Unjoni Ewropea kollha u mhux biss tal-pajjiżi fruntiera bħal Malta l-Italja u l-Grecja.

“Issa sta għal Schultz u Juncker li meta u jekk ikunu eletti jaraw li t-28 Prim ministri Ewropej li ħafna minnhom ġejjin mill-PPE jew mis-Soċjalisti jisimgħu minn dak li qed jipproponu ż-żewg kandidati Presidenzjali u jibdew jimplimentaw din il-politika komuni Ewropea tal-migrazzjoni, li hija l-uniku mod ta’ kif din il-kwistjoni taħraq tista’ tiġi indirizzata.”