Tuesday, 29th July 2008 - 13:53CET
Medicins Sans Frontiers to assist Malta deal with migrants
The government and Medicins Sans Frontiers have signed a one-year agreement through which the international humanitarian aid organisation are providing personnel to help illegal immigrants in Malta as from this week.
MSF is providing two medical doctors, a nurse, a psychologist, a health promotion expert and interpreters to assist migrants upon their arrival, in detention and open centres.
The assistance will focus primarily on the mental, sexual and reproductive health of the immigrants and will also identify vulnerable people.
Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici welcomed the agreement, saying it sent the message that Malta was a democratic and civilised country which was facing serious problems because of illegal immigration and it was not right for people to criticise and move on, when they could help.
He said that some 1,600 migrants had arrived in Malta so far, up by some 600 over last year during the same period. All efforts were being made to repatriate those who were not granted any sort of status, but the government, working with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees had to make sure that the migrants returned to countries which were safe.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici reiterated Malta’s call for burden-sharing among EU countries and said that the operations of Frontex also needed to be fine-tuned, especially with regard to where migrants were landed.
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Comments
Mr Louis Sinagra Very Well said...
On the other hand I will insist that the EU countries, (the rich people) should own up to their obligation to assist Malta to help the illegal immigrants.
I wish to show my appreciation to MST for their sterling work in the war torn and endemic diseased countries
Laurence, NOW you are convincing me that UNKNOWINGLY you are confusing the issue. Our small island cannot accommodate a constant influx of ILLEGAL immigrants.
This situation is running out of our hand, posing a grave potential danger which perhaps, (in spite of your good intentions), you are not realising.
This issue Laurence is unfortunately causing a division amongst us Maltese. The comments, (including mine) are showing a sharp rise in intolerance towards each other.
This is dangerous, because being divided amongst ourselves may encourage ILLEGAL immigrants to join forces encouraging them to try to take for keeps what is LEGALLY ours.
I agree with you that ‘the rich world does owe these people a living’ but MALTA cannot bear this burden ALONE. Laurence realise that:
i. our country is not rich and physically large enough,
ii. we have Maltese people living on the borderline of poverty too,
iii. this duty must be PROPORTIONALLY shared by the other EU states if the EU
merits the title ‘UNION.’
The issue is NOT a racist one; it is a PRACTICAL, RATIONAL LOGISTIC issue from which our ‘leaders’ are avoiding rather than protecting our island and us AS THEIR DUTY DEMANDS.
I was struck by PM Gonzi’s audacity when in his short appeal, he strongly argued that the true meaning of solidarity is seen through actions. "The true test of helping others smile is actually doing something to help them smile," he said. The Prime Minister spoke about the immigrants who arrived a few days earlier, which included a pregnant woman and young children. "The true test is helping those who are going through a difficult time – are we capable of this?" said Dr Gonzi.
PM Gonzi’s appeal is not politically popular as is evident by most comments on this blog. In fact, neither Dr. Joseph Muscat nor Archbishop Cremona elaborated on the same unpopular topic.
But I am glad that my Prime Minister has, to date, consistently chose the road less travelled of humanity, compassion, common sense, solidarity, and realism, in addressing the challenge of illegal migration into Malta.
An excellently well-keyed in comment to which most readers appreciate and agree.
@Franco Farrugia
What you keyed in is very true.
Do not give a euro cent to those who call you racist.
They are an indoctrinated bunch trying to make you shut up. Probably it is not their fault; we must help them see reality through reason.
Being aware and accepting the fact of the bizarre reality of ILLEGAL immigration is not being racist but rather being practical and rational.
Re SHE who pretends to be Ms Know-all, looking down on everybody: simply ignore her comments as I do. Thankfully, she is no longer writing for 'The Times.'
@Laurence Schembri
You are KNOWINGLY trying to confuse the issue, so I will not bother to comment.
@ L. Galea
I completely agree with you.
However:
i. Dr Pair of Strong Hands used them simply to win the election.
ii. DR. Ambition is not much better. He absented himself when an important
vote re this issue was taken in the EU parliament. His two colleagues abstained!!
Prime Minister Sig. BERLUSCONI, has shown REAL STRONG PAIR OF HANDS and what a REAL PM SHOULD BE.
1) Keep insisting with the EU on burden-sharing
2) Keep pushing for repatriation for failed asylum seekers to alternative countries if need be
3) Entice failed asylum seekers to return to their homeland by paying them in kind to set up their own business back home (it would work out cheaper in the long term)
4) Loosen the criteria for eligibility for refugee status or humanitarian assistance (that would make more immigrants eligible to obtain travel documents ---> which would open the door towards mainland Europe for them ---> which is after all their ultimate goal)
5) Keep pushing the EU to pressure Libya into taking concrete steps in stopping the boats from leaving its shores.
You cannot give what you have not...ie land. It's scarce, and giving land goes beyond voluntary charity. It becomes a political thing, settlements, and all that stuff. Which is most of the problems in the world, not least the middle east.
So now even the prime minister is a spoilt brat for saying that this is a major problem. Naivity apart, charity cannot be forced on a nation. We are not being asked, but forced.
If you are infavour for them to come illegally - I say feed them yourself and put them up for the night or till they are repatriated. In other words take them off the State handout. That way the government will have more cash for the maltese unemployed and pensioners
I was trawling through the EU autumn agenda would you believe that help to the African countries wasn’t mentioned even once!
So please those who wish to have some fun and turn the argument on its head feel free to do so, that is your privilege, in a civilised society.
1) The current rate is unsustainable
2) One can reduce influx, yes, by abdicating from responsability at sea
3) One can reduce the burden, by speedily, aiding them to move to the mainland.
Now, of course, given the state of affairs, I prefer 3. It is not that we are breaking any nuclear convention or building a nuclear site. We will be breaking conventions to defend ourselves against irrationality. As IM DINGLI said, we signed those conventions voluntarily and out of good faith. And not to be abused with them.
In all countries in the world, when domestic laws are being abused, their lawmakers change them and take action. In this case, being of an international nature, no one is willing, cause Malta is a comfortable buffer. So we will have to change them ourselves, unilaterally. Burdening them on Europe will not jeopardise them.
One can repeat adnauseum that there is no solution. Unfortunately, it will further increase the hostility towards them, cause its impossible.
I would have said the very same thing had it been hundreds of ... Russians, Ukrainians, ... even French, whatever.
What I am saying, if only you had the means of basic comprehension, is that facts are showing that we are receiving FAR TOO MANY immigrants to our shores and that contrary to normal tourists, these immigrants cannot fend for themselves, will be at the mercy of our decrepit finances rather than contributing, and that there is no way of these people leaving our shores - neither returning south, nor going on north!
Now that has nothing to do with skin colour. It's just a question of multitudes invading our shores and our ineptness at controlling the situation. We are becoming a sitting duck!
Latest figures are not out yet, last time the opposition asked, the minister in question gave no reply....follow links to confirm the facts.
http://www.pq.gov.mt/PQweb.nsf/10491c99ee75af51c12568730034d5ee/c1256e7b003e1c2dc12574830027c767?OpenDocument
This link shows how many arrived and how many where eventually sent back, now you do the math and see how many illegal immigrants we are still lumping even though they do not qualify for a refugee status.
http://www.pq.gov.mt/PQweb.nsf/10491c99ee75af51c12568730034d5ee/c1256e7b003e1c2dc12574860031fdce?OpenDocument
Yet, as soon as the colour of the skin changes we are the biggest biggots, hypocritical and racist nation going.
" to send them back to Libya, you need Libya to agree to taking them back. As you know, this the last thing on Ghaddafi's wish list. He has not given in to similar pressures from Italy and you can rest assured that he will not give in to ours either." who said anything about taking them to Libya? We can take them to WITHIN 5 miles of Libya's territorial waters and point them towards the nearest land. If we are bound by international law to accept any migrants then so is Libya...or is Libya exempt? addafi says that it's not his problem. of course it isn't! it's ours and we have a right to find a solution. Our future is at stake here.
The packet includes:
a PRISON sentence of between 6 months and 4 years for entry into Italian territory without identification;
Expropriation of all property whether sold to or let to illegal immigrants.
How about it Mr Pair of Strong Hands Prime Minister?
Please will you tell me how you see Malta in five years time, as I have said in a previous article (TOM 03/07) I have nothing against these people, but on the other hand I cannot support their case if this will be detrimental to my country?
While I am aware that illegal immigrants are arriving at several countries in Europe (Trans-Sahara Migration by: Hein de Haas) you have also to be aware that several countries agreed to introduce laws to forbid illegal immigration and hasten repatriation to point of origin. Is anyone thinking about sanctions against these countries?
One last point look at the difference, in resources, land area and population density of our country and that of G5 countries. By just comparing Malta’s average population density @ 1300per Km. It equates that for every 100 landing in mainland Europe is equal to 700 landing in Malta! Dr.S.Busutill has already elaborated this point.
After all, their country was one of the colonizers of Africa who stole their natural resources and is continuing to do it through multinationals.
We never colonized them, so we have no responsibility towards the iLLEGAL immigrant.
The only responsibility that we have is towards OUR country to rid it and ourselves of these INVADERS.
Unfortunately since our Prime Minister at the time wanted to enter in the EU AT ALL COSTS, he gave in to the European's Commission demands and signed our country off. Too thank him for all of this we later elected him as our President.
Be my guest :-)
@ I.M Dingli
You are wrong... Italy, Greece, France, Spain are all lumped with the same problem. Actually the famous "pacchetto" that the Italian Government is now proposing to curb illegal immigration includes a set of measures that are already in effect in Malta - including our mandatory 18-month detention policy.
And how can you ignore the treaties and conventions signed in the past? Have you any idea of the consequences that Malta would face if it were to break even the tiniest clause in them? Are you prepared to face the sanctions that would be imposed on us and the tarnished image that our country would have to suffer from?
As always, you just comment on other people's opinion rather than formulate one of your own. And please give an indication of how we could at least alleviate the problem if not solve completely.
Who says that we have to have a burden-sharing agreement with Europe states to send immigrants there? Who's to stop a legal visa-holding immigrant from any European state? Besides which, the European states have not shown us a modicum of assistance, cooperation or even of sympathy. Why should we bind ourselves to cooperation with uncooperative states?
With regards to the article itself, the proposition of Medicins Sans Frontiers is preposterous, ridiculuous and surreal. Would someone please diverge from the usual immigration discussion that has cropped up and explain to us common folks what is exactly meant by "The assistance will focus primarily on the ... reproductive health of the immigrants"?
Thank you.
"We cannot stop them from coming in simply because those that come in usually do so after being rescued on the high seas. And as you know, we cannot refuse to assist them if they request assistance. Only a small proportion of them manage to reach our shores on their own steam. Giving them another vessel, fuel and supplies to continue on their journey towards Europe would mean breaching half a dozen conventions and treaties, to which Malta is signatory.
"Secondly, to send them on to Europe the member states need to agree on burden sharing, which is exactly the point that Malta has been making for the past year or so, and has only now been taken on board by the French Presidency.
"Thirdly, to send them back to Libya, you need Libya to agree to taking them back. As you know, this the last thing on Ghaddafi's wish list. He has not given in to similar pressures from Italy and you can rest assured that he will not give in to ours either."
John Fenech: Ditto. Medecins Sans Frontiers isn't operative only in Malta.
N. Saliba: Let us hope they do not interfere with our policy on immigration'? I doubt Medecins Sans Frontiers have the time or inclination to do that. Why would it worry you anyway? You don't seem to keen on 'our' policy yourself.
Isaac Zarb: What we need is a large incoming shipment of brain cells for those who lack them.
J Farrugia: If you're planning to be dead one year from now, why are you worried about what happens in Malta after that?
Tvfootage the other day showed a boat-load of immigrants coming in - a brand-new dinghy, not large enough to hold many people, but certainly there were nearly 100. Many of them were smiling and none of them needed medical assistance. What do YOU make of it?
All this is turning many of our best citizens into becoming racist.
Malta is too over-populated to keep these people here.
They will never integrate with our society - let's accept this fact, once and for all. The Maltese will not accept them. Notice the way they interrleate with the Maltese - the Maltese just ignore them, they won't even look at them. We have to accept this fact!
Another effect of all this is that people are slowly, slowly, taking it against the EU! No real help forthcoming, the Maltese are beginning to really believe that the EU has an agenda - that of using Malta as a barrier! We cannot afford to become the Lampedusa of mainland Europe.
So, dear Daphne, let me keep on being 'naive', as you call me. At least, I won't be harsh towards them for now.
Bottom line is that Libya, Europe (including Malta) do not want these persons, so how come we are the only ones who get to keep them within our territory?
Don't mention conventions and treaties since most of them have been signed years ago when this problem was almost inexistent. You can't abide to old, expired rules once the general scenario has changed completely.
But, there is a limit to everything and I don't really care two hoots if you write back to criticised me as well, now.
To continue allowing this influx of immigrants into our small country and leaving them here to rot, as they are doing now, or slowly, slowly, leaking them to roam freely in our streets, is not acceptable either.
We are also abusing of the patience of the Maltese people! In other words, we are provoking the sentiments of the people.
So, you yourself admit, that these immigrants are not going to move at all - that they are going to stay put. Where? How? With what? This is indeed bad. What do you, yourself, suggest?
We cannot stop them from coming in simply because those that come in usually do so after being rescued on the high seas. And as you know, we cannot refuse to assist them if they request assistance. Only a small proportion of them manage to reach our shores on their own steam. Giving them another vessel, fuel and supplies to continue on their journey towards Europe would mean breaching half a dozen conventions and treaties, to which Malta is signatory.
Secondly, to send them on to Europe the member states need to agree on burden sharing, which is exactly the point that Malta has been making for the past year or so, and has only now been taken on board by the French Presidency.
Thirdly, to send them back to Libya, you need Libya to agree to taking them back. As you know, this the last thing on Ghaddafi's wish list. He has not given in to similar pressures from Italy and you can rest assured that he will not give in to ours either.
The above points have been repeated ad nauseam...
But I don't understand the Sexual reproductive health of the immigrants. Does this mean teach them how to have more babies? If it does , should we be doing the opposite, since many left babies back at home. If I misunderstood, please someone tell me.
For democracy to be meaningful France, Germany, Spain, Belgium and all the other countries who colonised the African continent must help these people to help themselves! And at the same time the EU will impose diplomatic pressure on Libya to keep the unemployed immigrants on its territory.
But all this is illegal dreaming since the status quo is the best solution for all concerned, except Malta!
At this rate in five years time there will be plus 6000 illegal immigrants on our Island. So from now the Ministers concerned have to prepare for extra medical beds at the hospital, accommodation units, an increase output from the power stations, new religious habitat, new transport routes and possibly some modification to our constitution!
What We need is a large capacity vessel, and personnel to oversee the shipment back to wherever they came from...