Malta ‘leading by example’, Muscat says ahead of UN summit

Malta is leading by example in its belief that every country should do their bit to tackle the refugee crisis, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said ahead of the first UN Humanitarian Summit.  

“We’re not saying that we won’t help other countries solve the crisis because Malta was left alone when it had faced immigration problems in the 2000s,” he told state broadcaster PBS. “Rather, we are accepting asylum seekers from Italy and Greece to show that our call for solidarity is not all talk.”

He hailed the UN summit in Istanbul as an “important first step” towards tackling global problems of immigration and climate change.

“Malta supports these global efforts, as it is our natural vocation,” he said.

The summit, first proposed by UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon in 2012, will seek to improve how aid is given and how the world reacts to crises.

At least 125 UN member states will attend the two-day summit, with Muscat scheduled to give a speech later today.