55 immigrants brought ashore

Raymond Sammut:
Here's another fact that didn't fit into my previous comment: It is because of a country's search and rescue obligations that people are rescued at sea. The UN Convention and Protocol on the status of refugees has no bearing on the matter.

Raymond Sammut: More facts, I'm afraid.

Brussels (I assume, you mean the European Union) cannot 'scrap' the 1951 Convention ( I assume, you mean the UN Convention and Protocol relating to the status of refugees).

Aside from the fact that conventions cannot be 'scrapped' at will (once in effect, they are binding under international law), the EU and the UN are two separate bodies. Were it possible to 'scrap' a convention, it would not be 'Brussels' who would make that happen.

If the convention "is outdated and counter-productive under African prevailing conditions" there is no purpose to be served by having Libya become a signatory. If the convention has any value, it is because it protects human rights of vulnerable people, however imperfectly. Libya is not a signatory for various reasons, chief among them is a differing understanding of the nature and importance of human rights. 'Brussels' is not a signatory either, though member states are. That is less to do with its view on human rights, than with the fact that 'Brussels' is not a state.

A Q&A document on the UN Convention and Protocol relating to the status of refugees is available for free at http://www.unhcr.org/basics/BASICS/3c0f495f4.pdf

@ john azzopardi

Your observations appear to be accurate. The priority of Frontex would be (my guess) to prevent any further drownings. On Monday, 26 May, 2008, The Times reported: "An Italian fishing trawler has rescued 13 migrants but another five are believed to have drowned when their boat capsized in rough seas some 85 miles south east of Malta, the AFM said." ("south east" would imply the traffickers operated from Benghazi). Since then, the pattern has been pickings of illegals at 98 miles south of Malta (which would be just outside Libyan territorial waters north of Tripoli). Brussels is worried about drownings, and they seem to be covering up what is really going on. Every man, woman, and child who drowns is on their conscience. Literally, they are caught up in their own petard. They refuse to scrap the 1951 Convention which is outdated and counter-productive under African prevailing conditions, and to which the Tripoli government refuses to become a party. As it is, Brussels continues to motivate human traffickers, and is facing a never ending losing battle. They cannot escape this dilemma which is of their own making.

Yes, there is an issue that is yet to be really tackled in the interests of Malta. But what is the true cause for the exodus? May be it lays further south on the continent of Africa. Authorities talk about dictators and genocide, what about ridding societies of the regimes that create the environment that forces one to flee.

The EU is nothing more than a bureaucracy. We have not received much help for resettlement. Our gov't is puttetter of the EU.

Also, has anyone noticed (as per BBC map), Frontex is protecting the Benghazi border, so that all illegal come through Tripoli to land in Malta or lampedus. Also, what's with italian vessels picking up immigrants. Seems to me that they form part of the Italian Navy.............and are routing illegal to Malta. Malta government, wake up before it's too late.

It's useless moaning behind closed doors, unless we take to the streets no one, our Goverment included will bother to take some concrete action in our best interest. EU funding will not help to make our country grow larger, and words of support and solidarity will not make the problem go away either.

@ A. Formosa what a defeatist’s attitude you have. Your comments show how the Maltese public marshals itself when it comes to a collective national issue, such as illegal Immigration. I won't be surprised that you Mr. Formosa were the first person to go and vote on March 8, to either of the two main Political parties, who failed even to bring this thorny issue to the forefront of Malta’s concerns. Blaming the EU and other foreign countries isn't going to help to start to solve the problem.
By petitioning your Member of Parliament will.

The term 'illegal immigrants' has to be changed to C.F.T. that is Complimentary Full-Board Tourists.

I remember well that in the beginning of the migrants open season I said that thousands will come ashore, and I was proposing that those who own a second property should offer it to these poor people, today I must say that those who earn the first property must also start to think of sharing theirs. Those gullible who use to write on this paper to attack the hunting lobby and supporting the EU, these same gullible also thought that the EU is going to support Malta on this issue. One also wrote that the Libyan police and army is a farce, well probably this person he thinks that the coast of Libya is just a few kilometers, however it's now time to realize that the farces are Malta and the rest of Europe for not supporting these people in there country and give them back what was taken in the past when they were occupied. I suggest to the media to stop calling them illegal immigrants, but brothers as they will stay with us with the thousands more to come, we should also start to offer them the opportunity elect someone in the parliament to fight for their rights.