No to burden sharing (1)

If anybody in Malta ever expected France to take any of our illegal immigrants, they cannot be very well briefed on French policy on this matter (No Pledges From France On Burden Sharing, May 8). It is worth recalling that in May 2007 Nicolas Sarkozy, who is celebrating his first anniversary as President of France, was elected on a platform which emphasised the need for greater security.

This became necessary as a result of the riots in the banlieues (or suburbs) of Paris when young men of immigrant origin torched cars and public buildings.

When Brice Hortefeux, who is very close to President Sarkozy and who was recently in Malta, was appointed minister with responsibility for immigration and national identity he was given the task of focusing on the return of illegal immigrants back to their countries of origin. He also has to reach annual targets in terms of numbers of returned migrants. If Minister Hortefeux is under pressure to repatriate illegal immigrants, how could the Maltese government expect him to share our burden by taking some of our own uninvited guests?

I am sure the Maltese government understands that the greater our burden, the more reluctant will other countries be to share it with us.

Rather than trying to share the burden, the government would be better advised to try to avoid it altogether, or at least to prevent it from growing heavier.

The Maltese people have had enough. And our MEPs in Brussels must continue to emphasise this simple message to our partners in the European Union.

It is already late in the day, but hopefully not too late.