AFM rescue 58 migrants
Fifty-eight migrants were rescued by Armed Forces of Malta last nights and brought to shore after their boats were in an unfit condition to continue their journey.
The AFM said the first case was signalled to the Operations Centre at 6.30 p.m. by a tanker vessel, the "Forward Bridge", which reported a boat 27 nautical miles (NM) east of Malta. The tanker said the migrants had asked for fuel and food.
An AFM Air Wing Alouette helicopter went on site but searched by a patrol boat in the darkness were initially unsuccessful until another merchant vessel, the "Vema Cape" reported that the same migrants were alongside and requesting assistance. P-32 was within 7 miles range of the tanker and at 11.20 p.m. located the migrants' boat which was found unseaworthy. The migrants, 26 men and 2 women, one of whom is pregnant, were taken onboard the patrol boat and landed at Haywharf base at 1.30 a.m.
In the second rescue involved 30 men who were initially picked up by the Italian fishing boat "Alibut" 40 NM south of Malta. Some of the group had tried to forcibly board the fishing vessel, whilst others did not manage to, obliging the fishing boat's crew to take them all onboard, the AFM said.
The migrants were later transferred to AFM patrol boat P-24 and landed at Haywharf at 3.30 a.m.
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a.cassar
Aug 8th 2008, 21:20
@ M.Mercieca
?!!!!!!!
M.Mercieca
Aug 8th 2008, 20:56
@ @ M.Mercieca
I explained this several times., i say it again :)
European politicians understand that racism is spreading among European citizens. While the latter are not fully aware of the real threat of population deficit, no politician, in Malta or in Europe is going to speak facts about immigrant’s issues (not to lose VOTES). But you may on the other hand see hopeful politicians that are hungry for power use the immigrant’s card to scaremonger peoples (VOTERS).
Please read:
www.euobserver.com/9/26239/?rk=1
a.cassar
Aug 8th 2008, 19:47
@ M.Mercieca
If europe needs so many immigrants why is it reluctant to share our burden with us? Why are the EU countries not falling over each other to take the unwanted illegal immigrants off our hands? we are giving them away for free.
guze xerri
Aug 8th 2008, 07:03
@ M. Merieca,
What Europe needs in manpower, it can get in regulated LEGAL immigration.
A nation the size of Malta can do without any immigrants , especially ILLEGAL ones.
Victor Zammit
Aug 8th 2008, 05:01
Why do illegal immigrants keep coming?
On Friday, 14th December 2007 MEP Dr. John Attard Montalto wrote a factual article that may interest you if you wish to be aware of the core problem of Africa.
Here I quote a paragraph:
(The scramble for Africa has started all over again. In the colonial period, European nation-states competed between themselves. After World War II, the US permitted Europe to continue to dominate the continent’s resources, on the reckoning that the boost to the European economies would boost trade with the US itself.)
John Portelli
Aug 8th 2008, 00:27
@Amanda Mallia....
How naive are you Lady. The illegals coming from asia come via plane, thus we can deport them any time. All societies have criminal elements, we just don't want to deal with those that are foreign because we have enough to deal with. Illegals create a burden because they are eating away unnecessary at our taxes. We don't like crime with our own maltese, but why should we have crime from foreigners as well. So naive. So please, lets rest assured nothing.
William Attard McCarthy
Aug 7th 2008, 23:38
@ M. Mercieca
I clicked on the link you so gently provided us. I see this title:
"EUobserver to get a new look"
...I seriously hope the EUobserver is not about to take on the look I'm (read we're) suspecting....the "look" our streets in our own country are slowly taking on. I invite you to join me on a walk down Albert Town or BBugia anytime; and then tell me if you're seriously not worried, or perhaps tell me if you would feel safe in those regions alone out at night.
And this is just the beginning Mr. Mercieca...more is to come...Malta will become a Brixton Part 2.
M.Mercieca
Aug 7th 2008, 20:35
Europe needs MILLIONS OF IMMIGRANTS FROM Africa-China and India.
Malta is getting well paid from this business. NO SINGLE PENNY FROM TAX PAYERS MONEY IS SPENT ON IREGUALR IMMIGRANTS, as some try to promote lies through their post.
If tomorrow we go for GENERAL ELCTION, and we vote for ANR, AN, Like of Norman Lowell, things will remain the same and immigrants still will keep coming. ALL POLITICAL PARTIES I REFERED TO MUST ABIDE WITH EU VALUES, AND MUST ALSO WORK WITHIN EUROPE FUTURE NEEDS.
Surveys also shows 97 % don’t want any body in Malta , legal or illegal. This does not work with EU. The good thing is that, the later knows how to tame racist peoples.
Moaning will get us no where. Any body interested to read about Europe need for immigrants, please click the following link
www.euobserver.com/9/26239/?rk=1
Corinne Vella
Aug 7th 2008, 17:18
L Galea: "How can we ever be sure that weapons, ammunition and explosives have not been smuggled in and hidden for some future use?"
Aha! A plot to take over the world unmasked on timesofmalta.com.
Ask the AFM rescuers. They know a thing or two about weaponry.
Corinne Vella
Aug 7th 2008, 17:15
Joanna Micallef: Our government is helping incite hatred? And what is AN doing?
L Galea
Aug 7th 2008, 16:33
@Jean Pierre Aquilina
I have it from well-informed sources that they also have GPS equipment and such equipment has been retrieved by our forces.
How come supposedly third world African ILLEGAL immigrants who have never seen the sea before know how to operate GPS systems and find the tiny speck in the middle of the Mediterranean called Malta?
Are the foreign countries representatives who have expressed their concern that there may be terrorists coming in among the illegal immmigrants right in their concerns and conclusions?
How can we ever be sure that weapons, ammunition and explosives have not been smuggled in and hidden for some future use?
Amanda Mallia
Aug 7th 2008, 16:29
John Portelli - True, you may not know their background. Do you, however, know that of the thousands of Europeans and Asians who are here legally, whether semi-permently or as tourists?
Rest assured that most crimes here are probably committed by fellow Maltese and other Europeans. Somebody whose situation here is probably already precarious would think twice about committing any crime. The fact that we do hear of the occasional case involving an "illegal immigrant" is not as much cause for worry as other cases that reach the news (and also those that don't.) which involve fellow Maltese and other Europeans.
Joanne Micallef
Aug 7th 2008, 14:34
By remaining passive our Goverment is helping in inciting hatred towards these illegal immigrants, in a few years time if we keep accepting more, this country will most certainly face its breaking point.
How can anyone seriously ask us to accept and integrate these people when we're in constant fear for our Nations future wellbeing? We citizens will be more accepting if we knew that our Goverment was working towards safeguarding our National interest.
Sergio Galea Vincenti
Aug 7th 2008, 14:08
Dear friends: May I remind you all that we are not entitled any more to vent our concerns on the matter lest certain pitbull opinionists start attacking us and labelling us as some form of neanderthal racists?
After all, the authorities have been helpless and sleeping pretty for most of the time and really sidelined and silenced all those - even in Parliament - who dared express their views and concerns on the matter...
Well, I suppose so long as some people are enjoying their funding....
John Spiteri
Aug 7th 2008, 13:31
The government won't do anything (we need somebody like Mr. Austin Gatt as leader) the opposition will not say anything (to angelic for a the leader), I always thought their job is to criticise and making life hard for the government, we have no leadership of people any more. People should have voted to the party that was concerned about this issue, but we failed them to lead the way for us.
We need somebody to organize a mass demonstration in Valletta, to show that we don't want them here.
a.cassar
Aug 7th 2008, 13:26
From one of advantage, Malta's position in the middle of the mediterranean has turned into a curse. But the aim remains the same. The invasion of Europe with malta as a stepping stone. Our problem is not that illegal immigrants are landing on our shores. the real problem is the huge numbers that are coming in such a short period of time. At the best of times these people find it impossible to integrate. imagine hundreds of them gathered together in one place. in time they will form ghettoes which will become no go areas for maltese. we can already see this happening in Marsa and Birzebbugia when they are strong enough, these immigrants will start creating trouble like in the big cities of europe.
L Galea
Aug 7th 2008, 13:25
Officially we'ev had 1847 ILLEGAL immigrants this year.
Apart from the impact on maltese culture and future problems that are certainly to crop up, and apart from other expenses for free lodging, free electricity, free water, free telephone cards, free internet, free medical health and hospitalization etc. etc. this year up to now has meant an increase on the Maltese taxpayers of:
1847 x 30 euros daily = 55,410 euros
55,410 x 365 days = 20,224,650 per year
or 30,336,975 euros for 18 months detention following which they are left to roam freely in our streets.
Yes this year the MALTESE TAXPAYERS burden due to ILLEGAL immigrants has been increased by not less than 30 million, 336 thousand, 975 euros.
Wayne Grima
Aug 7th 2008, 12:57
Silence is golden...
Government is silent, opposition is silent, church is silent, our EU MEP's are silent.
Therefore we should protest...this is intollerable....We are not racist we are CONCERNED about our country. Gonzi wake up and smell the coffee!!!
Marcel Dingli
Aug 7th 2008, 12:35
@Anne Grima
Boycotting EU parliamentary elections does not help. Voting for the right people does !!!
Anne Grima
Aug 7th 2008, 12:15
Malta's 'forced' intake of illegal immigrants amounts so far to approx 150 times that of Italy - and according to the latest news,there are more than two and a half million of woud be illegal immigrants ready to cross over into any EU country.Malta,as it always was,is geographically strategically placed for such purposes.Now,if neither our elected politicians,nor the EU are ready to solve this problem NOW,the maltese people should show their strong disapproval by boycotting the forthcoming EU Elections for MEP's.We want ACTION not flimsy words.
Marcel Dingli
Aug 7th 2008, 12:10
Not only protest in the streets but also use our vote wisely. The people should show what they mean in the upcoming elections for MEPs. If the people don`t get it right this time, having already been given the chance on 8th March, then they would not be justified either in protesting or grumbling.
M.Muscat
Aug 7th 2008, 12:02
It is now obvious that at least 95% of the population are on edge over this situation. Yet government ignores everyone by burying its head in the sand pretending that all is well.
To provoke us a minister declares publicly that we should be expecting over 2000 imigrants by the end of summer and that contingency plans for more are in hand.. Sheer irresponsibility and such minister should make way as he is scared stiff of the problem - no idea what to do.
By now, we taxpayers, unknowingly, are already carrying a big extra chunk for this feather brained attitude. What irks the people is the fact that those who should know better are throwing in the towel and what's worse are distracting and deviating people's concerns to uninportant issues such as "Who will be MLP secretary". Whom are you kidding and who cares.
We notice that it is no longer a matter of news value, parliament is muted, the church speechless, unions tongue tied, do gooders hiding, Malta sinking. But you and me are paying for all this mess for EU's laissez faire attitude, Libya's arrogance and for having no solutions to a devastating situation. How bizarre.!
E. Azzopardi
Aug 7th 2008, 12:00
I am convinced these illegal immigrants are all taking us for a ride. And the authorities are the only ones who do not want to see this. We seem to be happy about the situation, at least this how it looks to many of us. Wake up Malta. I am surprised that we have not yet called for a state of emergency and stop accepting them, irrespective. And where are those who tried to convince us that Malta would have the same say as all the other EU states??? And preached about solidarity? Having said that, somebody must take responsiblity if something happens but we do not want it to happen do we. The way we are going there will not even be a Smart Street in Malta let alone Smart Island or Smart City!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wake up for goodness sake!
Joanne Micallef
Aug 7th 2008, 11:45
We are not only forking out money to sustain the illegal immigrants, but we're also paying for our 69 members of parlament who prefer to stay passive whilst our island is being invaded. We the people have elected these people to work in our interest and not against it, it's a disgrace how they are all ignoring this issue, and it's a bigger disgrace that we are letting them get away with it.
I said it many times before, unless we take our protest to the streets no one will feel pressured enough to seriously tackle this situation.
John Portelli
Aug 7th 2008, 11:28
Why is the Maltese government not coming out with some form of response to all this. Where is the leadership. Doesn't the government, as an elected body and given the concern of the majority of this situation, realize that they owe it to the Maltese citizen to speak up. This also goes for the opposition. The two parties seem to be on the same page on this situation against the will of the Maltese. Doesn't the will of the majority count for anything. Or is it only when election time comes around. The people of Malta should wake up and put pressure on the government and the opposition now before this situation spirals our of control. What we are talking about is thousands of young men coming to our shores. We have no idea what background they have and they are treated better than criminals. There cound be thiefs, murderers, child molesters, etc. Who knows. What a sad situation that is happening to our country.
John L Gatt
Aug 7th 2008, 10:42
Enough is enough......
Suggest the Maltese Authorities obtain information from the Australian Government re handling of illegal immigration...their system has helped in the past. It seems to me that the EU is holding back with helping Malta with this huge problem. Talk is cheap .
lee cutajar
Aug 7th 2008, 10:22
Welcome to the beautiful islands of malta....!! This is all organized crime......
The AFM motto : "THEIR BOATS WERE UNFIT TO CONTINUE THEIR JOURNEY" !!! ...my foot !!! by the way, seems that neither the government nor the opposition members are living in the same country we are all living in...absolute silence and no action !
louise vella
Aug 7th 2008, 10:02
Even the do-gooders have changed their tune. Godfrey Leone Ganado, chairman of the Church's Commission for Justice and Peace, thus wrote in Il-Gens (August 2, my translation): "Can such a small country go on taking all this influx? Previously we used to say that Malta could carry 1500 immigrants but today many more have been arriving. Can the country with its limited resources and pressure on its finances and the economy carry such numbers?"
For the do-gooders to express such views the situation must be alarming indeed.
J.Borg
Aug 7th 2008, 09:59
Agreed this is now news at all now...it's like organising daily cruises.
I don't know why the government and opposition don't press for stricter satellite surveillance as i am not at all convinced that these small boats or dinghis are leaving from Libya.......are we making sure that these boats are not being lowered in the open seas from large ships!!!!!!!
I do sympatise with them....but this is too much now......
Australians do the best thing.....shoot in the air and make them go back
Charles J Buttigieg
Aug 7th 2008, 09:53
Africans are very intelligent people and a lot smarter than we think.They are fully aware of the Maltese kindness and know that we will recue them,feed them,and take good care of them. The living conditions we provide for them are better than what they leave behind in Africa.......and that’s why they keep coming.
There’ll be no problem with that except for the fact that the situation is creating difficulties for us and we need solutions.
We elected a government with a slogan ‘Together everything is possible’ and it appears that this had echoed to the N.Africa shore and is being applied very effectively. Maybe Gonzi should reconsider his old slogan and go for Mintoff’s former ‘Malta first and foremost’ and\or ‘Malta Maltija’.
Meantime Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici should apply for early retirement and allow good old Austin Gatt to take on his job.
Mark Zerafa
Aug 7th 2008, 09:47
I must say I am truly frustrated with the authorities' inaction over this constant influx of illegal immigrants. It does not take much brain power to realise that this is not a sustainable situation. Unless we start an efficient repatriation process, the numbers of illegal immigrants in our country will continue to swell. Malta - or Europe for that matter, can never take on all the woes of the African continent. The problems that Africa is facing may on only be really and truly be solved by the toppling to the dictatorial regimes in these countries. The invasion of Europe is not the way to go.
Now you can call me "racist"!
R. Bartolo
Aug 7th 2008, 09:35
Why report this at all? It has stopped being NEWS a long time ago...
alfred abela
Aug 7th 2008, 09:18
Whilst acknowledging that the phenomenon of illegal immigration is creating real problems to our small island, i still urge readers to have a close look at the picture of the "boat people", their facial expressions, their eyes and the misery they emanate.
Let us not forget we are but one race - of the human kind.
Jean Pierre Aquilina
Aug 7th 2008, 09:05
It is no coincidence that boats used by migrants are unfit for sailing. It is also no coincidence that migrants are short of food and supply. A woman or two aboard, possibly pregnant, is also no coincidence. This is a planned illegal human trafficking operation which takes advantage of search and rescue missions and international human rights.
I have no objection with migrants being rescued. But surely it would be cheaper for Malta to supply them with a sea worthy vessel to continue their course. We cannot sustain the large numbers.
We are also told that such migrants leave from Libyan shores. I find this hard to believe given that the boats are unfit for sailing, and that no navigation equipment is used to travel northwards. Currents drift boats in all directions. It appears that migrants are initially transported on larger sea-worthy vessels and transferred to the small boats when they approach Maltese or European waters.
One solution is to identify suspicious feeder ships and force them to continue their journey elsewhere. The Australian coastguard has adopted such an approach to curb similar illegal immigration stemming from south-east Asian neighbouring countries.
Sandro Pace
Aug 7th 2008, 09:04
More pregnant women for the Prime Minister to be impressed with. It is obvious that they are doing this for citizenship purposes. Little do they know that, unless things have changed, Malta does not automatically grant citizenship by birth. One of the parents have to be Maltese.
Also, as far as I know, in case of refugees, citizenship is only granted after 10 years in Malta, and this only to those who are approved UNHCR refugees, and not those on temporary status.
It would be irrisponsable if these are granted any further political rights, or widened, unless it is something EU communitary, which facilitates their journey onwards.
Marcel Dingli
Aug 7th 2008, 09:03
@ C Damato
What break? The season has barely started.
Joseph Zammit
Aug 7th 2008, 08:56
Hurray!
Arrived just in time for the weekend! Have a nice stay.
Thanks dear members of parliament for your support on this serius issue. I thought that we voted to be mebers of the EU to be part of the Europeans not part of Africa.
Do we have any statistics of how many people frm EU live in Malta compared to the amount of these illegal African imigrants?
louise vella
Aug 7th 2008, 08:51
I recall that Dr Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said in an interview, that he was expecting between 1700 and 2000 illegal immigrants this year and there is also a contingency plan if more arrive (MaltaToday, June 15). That was an invitation for more of them to come and more of them have come. According to Il-Gens (August 2) the number of illegal immigrants this year has increased by 70% over the same period last year. In the meantime Mifsud Bonnici has been reminding us how many were repatriated up to the end of 2007. Can he please tell us how many have been returned to their country since he became minister responsible for illegal immigrants?
C Damato
Aug 7th 2008, 08:38
...uffffffff....
GIVE US A BREAK PLEASE!