Immigration Malta's concerns
As the third winner of our Playmobil Journalist competition, Emma Agius Vadalà, of St Julians writes about illegal immigration
Like many other countries and islands in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, Malta is inundated with illegal immigrants. The Canary Islands also have illegal immigrants who cross over by boat.
These immigrants pay hefty amounts of money to travel from their troubled countries in Africa. Their journeys can be very dangerous and there have been some very dangerous accidents, where people have died at sea.
The immigrants travel in very small boats, which are not even sea worthy, and they often travel in bad weather so the boats capsize.
The Armed Forces of Malta are always picking up these troubled people and bringing them to our small island. On the island there are doctors checking the immigrants and taking them to detention centres, which are located in the barracks of Safi.
There have even been babies, children and pregnant women coming to the island. Some weeks ago a woman gave birth on a boat out at sea. Mother and baby were taken to hospital where they recovered.
Malta has asked the European Union to help with the financial burden by sending patrol boats to the coastal waters of Libya and surrounding countries.
These immigrants pay hefty amounts of money to travel from their troubled countries in Africa. Their journeys can be very dangerous and there have been some very dangerous accidents, where people have died at sea.
The immigrants travel in very small boats, which are not even sea worthy, and they often travel in bad weather so the boats capsize.
The Armed Forces of Malta are always picking up these troubled people and bringing them to our small island. On the island there are doctors checking the immigrants and taking them to detention centres, which are located in the barracks of Safi.
There have even been babies, children and pregnant women coming to the island. Some weeks ago a woman gave birth on a boat out at sea. Mother and baby were taken to hospital where they recovered.
Malta has asked the European Union to help with the financial burden by sending patrol boats to the coastal waters of Libya and surrounding countries.