Hardline stance from Malta against migration pact Malta takes hardline stance at EP against new migration pact, says it provides no reassurances to frontline member states 27 May 2021, 6:34pm by David Lindsay Malta has taken a hard ine stance at the European Parliament against most of the leading elements of the New Pact on Asylum and Migration, which the Portuguese EU Presidency is determined to wrap up by the end of its term. Speaking at a EP hearing on Thursday on the proposed pact, Malta balked at a harmonised one-size-fits-all solution, arguing that it provides no fair balance between solidarity and responsibility, and blasted the proposal’s five-day limit in which to process irregular migrants as completely unrealistic for frontline countries such as Malta.