David Miliband, Roberta Metsola in international call for action on refugees

As EU leaders meet in Malta to discuss how to tackle the flow of refugees and migrants to Europe, former UK foreign secretary and current head of the International Rescue Committee NGO, David Miliband teamed up with Maltese MEP Roberta Metsola in an international appeal for the EU to step in after the US refused to resettle refugees who had already been approved and vetted. “Malta knows better than most what it feels like for boats to arrive on the shoreline, carrying people fleeing war and poverty in search of a better life. But now, 60,000 of the 110,000 refugees who had been promised resettlement places in the United States in 2017 have been left abandoned. “These are people who are fleeing war and persecution, some of whom have particular needs such as medical conditions that can’t be treated in the countries currently hosting them.  The majority are women and children.  All have been through extensive security vetting procedures, some lasting up to 36 months. Their lifelines have gone. “This creates an opportunity for Europe and for Prime Minister Joseph Muscat as he convenes his European colleagues in Malta.  Europe certainly has its own refugee and migration challenges...