Illegal immigration in the Euro-Mediterranean region : a Maltese scenario : what role for the Barcelona process?

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to track the roots of illegal immigration, give an account of the various EU polices regarding immigration and asylum, highlight the delicate situation in Malta following the large number of arrivals in the last five years and attempt to identify the main causes which limit the Barcelona Process from a more proactive role with regard to immigration. This is achieved following a thorough research based on personal interviews, document analysis and literature reviews. Malta's limited size and resources make illegal immigration a very serious issue. It is very difficult for Malta to have a coherent migration policy without the intervention of EU neighbouring states due to its physical and economic limitations. Cooperation is the only way to control and combat illegal immigration, especially for a country like Malta. And this is where the role of the EU and the Barcelona Process come in because it is through these institutions that cooperation in this respect can be achieved. With the EU pressing Malta for tougher border controls, illegal immigration is producing a tough challenge to the State's financial resources, as tougher border controls implies automatically a huge expenditure. The Barcelona Process also stresses the problem of illegal immigration however levels of cooperation regarding the problem are still non-existent or minimal.