Malta must act with conviction insists AN
Azzjoni Nazzjonali (AN) said today that it was imperative for Malta to act with conviction with regards to illegal immigration.
In a statement published this morning, AN said that burden sharing was , and would remain, a pipe dream, not least because practically every European country claimed to be facing problems as big as Malta's.
“Even if burden sharing were ever to be adopted, it would only serve to encourage yet more illegal immigration.”
The party therefore proposed that Malta should give a three-month notice to the European Union (EU), asking it to provide immediate and real assistance, not handouts”.
Should this fail to materialise, Malta should suspend obligations that preclude it from defending its sovereign integrity in such cases,” said AN.
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Corinne Vella
Jul 16th 2008, 09:41
I.M. Dingli: I do. You don't. "International community" does not mean "EU". It is not my job to provide a solution to a problem as you define it. This is not a blog. It is a forum.
I. M. Dingli
Jul 14th 2008, 15:50
@ C. Vella
You ask me to read carefully what you write before i reply to your comments.
Practice what you preach if it isn't such a big problem for you since i have many times (not only on this particular blog) asked you what is the solution to this problem but you never answered. You just avoid to comment by diverting the conversation to something else.
I. M. Dingli
Jul 14th 2008, 12:03
@ C. Vella
I asked for a solution from your part and not a lecture on what conditions Malta was forced to abide with in order to be accepted within the EU.
From your comments I tend to believe that in your opinion these illegal immigrants are not a burden on the Maltese.
Corinne Vella
Jul 13th 2008, 22:11
I.M.Digli: Since you ask, here's the matter "in its essence": boatloads of people will keep on arriving for the foreseeable future. Malta can either whinge about it or deal with it. AN's isolationist policy is just so much pie-in-the-sky. If Malta claims a place in the international community, then it can't be picky and stick only to the bits it likes. We can't just unilaterally suspend the obligations we signed up to just because we don't like what's happening while hanging on to all the advantages we wish to enjoy. And I mean "we can't", as opposed to "we shouldn't". Read that carefully before you shoot off a reply.
L.Galea: immigrants arrive in all European countries bordering the Mediterranean.
apgrech
Jul 13th 2008, 22:07
Good news: It's Sunday 10 pm - The Times just announced the arrival of 29 more illegal migrants at Xlendi.
I hope the government has prepared a welcome party for them.
It's about time Malta decrees HER OWN LAWS and sends the illegals back. Why obey the EU laws when the EU is giving us a cold shoulder?
Lawrence Gonzi - the Prime Minister of illegal immigrants and who stopped caring for his own people.
Sandro Pace
Jul 13th 2008, 20:36
Yes, it is in our right to take necessary action and suspend whatever is necessary. Everything is possible. Our country has its geographical limitations. I dont understand the logic of some people. They dont want to hear about immigrant number limit, neither about deadlines.
The obligations are overwhelming us, and maintaining the status quo is going to put our country in a dangerous situation. It would be a crime against the Maltese population if this is allowed to continue.
We have the rights to our living space as our fellow Europeans, which we are in all. Those taking decisions about Malta, abroad, are living comfortably and spaciously and care nothing about the well-being of Maltese and their children.
Take sovereign action, of course after the deadline expires. Never say never, else they bulldoze you.
Kevin Zammit
Jul 13th 2008, 20:22
Actually I think I have a better idea.
Teach them to speak english, must certainly be cheaper than detention. Then offer them a job in Malta say to clean and fix up the shambles around and send the bill to the field owners.
OR
Give them a temporary 5+ year passport to Europe. Many countries naturalise after 4 years anyway :)
That I think should kick the rest into action ...
I. M. Digli
Jul 13th 2008, 18:38
@ C. Vella
I assume you are happy with the present situation. I assume you like seeing these boats coming to Malta and you are actually willing to take some of these illegal migrants within your home. I assume you have a suggestion as to what could be done.
Oh, actually I know that you haven't got an answer since your comments are only directed to what people write within these blogs. None of your comments tackle the matter in its essence!!
Chris Ebejer
Jul 13th 2008, 18:05
At least some common sence from somebody !
mark tanti
Jul 13th 2008, 17:55
Dr Muscat , Let me tell you straight forward that you and some other like you are spreading a lot of hatred towards these people.
You were an intelligent politician in the past and you well know that Malta cannot suspend its obligations. So why you keep putting in mind of those gulliable people that this could be done ?
Besides do you prefer to see people drowning in the middle of the sea than bring them ashore and help them ?
jimmy vella
Jul 13th 2008, 17:47
Well done AN but unfornately malta is still being run by the church and not the priminister
L.Sinagra
Jul 13th 2008, 17:17
Very good comment L Galea could not agree with you more . Only one thing you didn,t mention when we send them back to Lybia give them a note to give to the ones that are thinking of crossing over that they are not welcome here .
M. Vella
Jul 13th 2008, 16:10
I agree that too much illegal immigrants are landing on malta, and there is a limit of how much that can be.
BUT the government doesnt need to sit down and wait for the problem to get worse or wait for help from the EU!! Malta is unimportant within the EU.
The illegal Immigrants in detention could do something rather than only sleep and eat.. they should work for the government. There is a lot to be repaired!
There are also a lot of foreigners living on Malta. It is obvious that Maltese dont like and discriminate the ones coming from arabic countries, although Maltese are apparently considered as the arabs of europe.
Also the maltese people are waiting to be fed with the spoon! In order not to throw garbage in the street and fields, not to pollute, and be environmentally friendly the people need the government and not take the matter in their hands!! The maltese people await too much from the government, which awaits too much from the eu!
L Galea
Jul 13th 2008, 14:51
Whatever anyone says, the ILLEGAL immigrants problem has been created by the EU.
When the Maltese Government ratified the UN Refugee Convention it had made a reservation that Malta will only accept refugees from Europe.
When the incompetent Nationalist negotiators were negotiating with the EU, the EU knew that the Nationalist Party wanted membership at all costs, so they insisted that Malta had to remove the reservation, to which the Nationalist Government obliged.
The EU knew that due to its Dublin and Dublin II Convention, Malta will be lumped with the illegal immigrants from Africa and as Frattini had said, Malta will be turned into an ILLEGAL immigrants centre.
This meant that Malta will be saddled with ILLEGAL immigrants while continental Europe would be saved from the thousands of ILLEGAL immigrants which would otherwise have made it to its shores.
This is confirmedf by the setting up of AFFRONTEX which is an AFFRONT to Maltese citizens and Malta as we have had the occasion to confirm this week when ILLEGAL immigrants picked in Libya's S&R area were brought to Malta.
Do we need any other proof that the EU made us the dump of African ILLEGAL immigrants?
L Galea
Jul 13th 2008, 14:40
Malta should suspend all its legal obligations RIGHT NOW becaue we are fed up being taken for a ride by the EU and it's AFFRONTEX while suffering what the Prime Minister himself described as an INVASION.
The only way to deal with the situation is to tell everyone who tries to interfere to go to hell, put the ILLEGAL immigrants back on their own safe boats or after repairing them with food, water and fuel, point them towards Libya and warn them not to come back or they will be shot.
Strong action as that taken by Australia is needed here in Malta., not playing lackey to Gaddafi, the EU and the No Good Organizations (NGO's) who defend the ILLEGAL immigrants at the expense and to the detriment of the Maltese citizens.
This should also be done to the thousands of Ukranians, Russians, Chinese, Serbs, Croats and other foreigners who have overstayed their visa
Only then will we start to be respected and not by playing lackey to anyone.
Ivan Attard
Jul 13th 2008, 14:27
Well said! I wholeheartedly agree with AN's proposal. It's what the present incumbent and comfortably numb Government and Opposition should be agreeing about.
Corinne Vella
Jul 13th 2008, 13:57
It's hard to know whether to laugh or cry each time AN comes out with yet another self-important statement like this one. "Malta should suspend its international obligations" indeed - spoken as though belonging to the international community can be likened to being a greedy boy in a sweetshop, helping ourselves to everything we want but rejecting the bits we don't like. The only good news about AN was its abysmal performance in the last election. The rest would be funny if it didn't make your skin crawl.
JOHN DEBATTISTA
Jul 13th 2008, 13:45
Yes i agree with this statment lets do something or the problem gets worst .wake up please we should be ashamed of ourself not to react letsdo something and push the govement to act and stop this supposed legal immigarants from comeing in this island act pls act pls act Gonzi and the rest of the parlament no more talking you are makeing us VERY Sick with your statments.