The Spanish trawler

Some time ago I heard a French minister saying in Parliament that there are 900 million people in African intending to leave that vast continent and settle in Europe, adding that this would bring a great upheaval and a catastrophe that would boggle the mind.

We now all know that there are one million Africans in Libya who, after earning enough money through employment in that country, are buying passage to enter Spain, Italy and little Malta and settle in these countries to the great detriment of the local workers and their economy, which has to fork out hard earned funds to help them find their feet until work is provided for them. Recently a Spanish fishing vessel appeared off Malta carrying some 50 illegal immigrants who were picked up well outside Malta's legal area of responsibility, in fact close to Spain, with the fishing vessel's captain clamouring to land the African immigrants on Malta.

A BBC correspondent spoke with Minister Michael Frendo who very ably expounded Malta's problem created by the continuous influx of illegal immigrants, emphasising the point that Malta is already overpopulated by more than 400,000 people and besides, the problem of the Spanish trawler was not ours as it occurred well outside Malta's legal area of responsibility. Later I also heard Labour spokesman Gavin Gulia, who agreed with Dr Frendo's views.

Not so what I heard on RTK, which quoted the local Jesuits urging the government to allow the 50 illegal immigrants entry. Thanks to Dr Frendo, Spain agreed to take most of the African/Ethiopian immigrants.

In the meantime, boatloads of immigrants without documents are daily entering Malta one way or the other to the detriment of Malta's exchequer.

The government should charge part of these expenses to those NGOs who are backing these illegal immigrants despite the numerous protests of the majority of the Maltese people. These special contributions should be credited to a special fund to supplement logistical expenses.

I also want to bring to the notice of the proper authorities that rumours abound that an amount of bullying is occurring in enclosed camps where a large number of immigrants are quartered, by these people against soldiers guarding them.

The Malta area of responsibility should be reduced as this would help solve part of the problem.