The immigrant burden

Joseph Cassar's Talking Point on Understanding Our African Brethren (May 31) is well-balanced. However, I think he failed to make three important points in his discussion with the Eritrean taxi driver.

First, Malta has never oppressed or exploited Africans. We have never had colonies in Africa, never turned slavery into an industry and never stripped African countries of their natural resources. The Maltese do not have any moral obligations coming down from history. We do not have any guilt complex when dealing with Africans. Indeed, Africans do not have any expectations from Malta. Few of them want to settle here; most of them want to go to the colonial power which used to rule their country.

Second, those Africans who are in Malta have arrived in the worst possible circumstances. They have paid traffickers in human beings and traveled illegally from Libya or Tunisia with the intention of entering some country in violation of its laws. They are in Malta either because they landed illegally, or because they put themselves deliberately in a dangerous situation to force others to come to their rescue. Regardless of race, colour or religion, that is hardly the best way to gain the respect of the host country.

Third, the presence of Africans is a heavy burden on Maltese taxpayers. In reply to PQ 26300 (Sitting N° 530, May 28), the Prime Minister revealed that every illegal immigrant costs on average Lm13 per day. This works out at Lm4,745 per year. In other words, every boatload of 25 illegal immigrants costs us about Lm120,000 a year. If we get 1,000 new illegal immigrants this summer, this will put a burden of Lm4.7 million a year on all of us in addition to what we are already paying.

If Dr Cassar had transmitted this information, the Eritrean taxi driver would have understood Malta's position much better.