Prime Minister Robert Abela has called for new PN leader Bernard Grech to agree on a common policy on migration: that the island is “full up”.

After congratulating Grech on his win last night, he went on to talk about the key issue.

“Let’s have a common policy on immigration,” Abela said in an interview with party media ONE today.

“The message is: the country is full up. And if we aren’t sending this message, then we have failed. The country is full up and cannot stand anymore pressure from migration.”

Abela said that in September, the island had not allowed any migrants into the island, and that the 38 Moroccan migrants brought in yesterday were going to be repatriated, with work already underway to have them flown abroad.

“These people need to be repatriated,” Abela said.

“I make  a second appeal to the new leader who is part of a certain group of people who a few months back tried to send a Maltese brigadier, AFM soldiers and myself to face an inquiry they opened because we allegedly returned some people to Libya – do not allow these things to happen anymore. Don’t mess up these operations,” Abela continued.

“The PN’s new leader is saying Malta isn’t full up – I am saying it’s full up… you need to feel the pulse of the people, how can you tell them we aren’t full up?”

He went on to call on the European Union to provide a holistic solution to migration in the Mediterranean, saying things like sanctions against countries like Turkey won’t work, and cooperation needs to be the goal.

“The EU should show solidarity and protect its member states – and this principle needs to be truly extended to migration,” he said.

What do you think of Abela’s statements?