Two sick migrants airlifted to Malta, group returned to Libya

@ Emma Xerri

I agree with many of your points- (bar first one)

As a matter of fact, the whole disaster in Africa is a western design.
On Friday, 14th December 2007 MEP Dr. John Attard Montalto wrote a factual article that may interest those who seriously 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, on the reckoning that the boost to the European economies would boost trade with the US itself.)

@.M. Mercieca, illegal immigrants are no boon to Europe. Most of them will enter and syphon the welfare system and contribute zero to the coutries which will house them - so the idea that we need these people to support our social security and pension through their hard earned euros is fallacious to say the least. This does not mean that we do not feel sorry for them but the clamour should be for resolving the problem at its roots, namely the wholesale exploitation of Africa by the weatlhy western countries for the benefit of their multinational corporations. Many conflicts there are instigated so that multi-national companies can come in an exploit the land and the people. Also, so-called democratic superpowers have a habit of financing despots with arms and money, in turn for allowing their countries to be used and exploited. This is the main reason why these people are leaving Africa, which is a very rich continent.

In Europe, the only people who will benfit from these immigrants would be the business class who would be able to find cheap labour - again more exploitation.

@ M. Mercieca

What you keep repeating ad nauseam is for economists to work out and not for ideologues.

What most economists and policy makers keep saying is quite the opposite, namely, (1) contain population growths in the horn of Africa through comprehensive health and education programs, (2) fair trading in agriculture, and (3) building infrastructure.

It's only ideologues who are preventing these measures from proceeding for their own interests. In the meantime, ordinary Maltese people have their own children, grandchildren, and their tiny homeland to worry about.

Will immigrants keep coming?

Please click and read

http://euobserver.com/9/26631/?rk=1
European regions face population drain
22 August 2008
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Europe's population is ageing and falling, with some regions in eastern Europe set to become almost deserted in coming years. Meanwhile, the EU still shows wide disparity between men and women's pay as well as levels of minimum wage, new studies show.
The overall population of Europe is set to drop from 591 million today to 542 million by 2050, while the proportion of over 65 year-olds will grow from 16 percent to 28 percent, according to a report by the Berlin Institute for Population and Development.

Romania - rural regions in the east have a bleak future (Photo: European Commission)
European women on average have just 1.5 children, compared to 2.5 in Asia and Latin America and 5 in Africa, with a level of 2.1 needed to sustain population figures over the long term.

@ Stephen Saliba

I tend to disagree. In my view, this is not the way we should be handling things.

The objection from the Tripoli government seems to have always been directed at military vessels in its territorial waters. The way I understand it, Libya views Frontex vessels, including AFM vessels, as military items, and hence would object to their presence. I think that this is fairly standard. Most countries would behave in this way.

There is one plausible approach for the Maltese government. Along with AFM patrol boats, there should also be civilian Maltese registered boats. An AFM patrol should not be escorting or carrying illegals to Hay Wharf. Instead, AFM patrols should be transferring illegals onto a civilian boat, and then allow this boat to return the illegals to Tripoli once medical checks had been carried out. The Libyan authorities would not object to such a civilian boat in the same way they do not object to a fishing boat.

It is appalling to see ordinary seamen, such as fishermen trying to earn their livelihood, having to take the brunt of a mess which inept EU institutions and USA embassies have created in perpetuity.

I note an elevated number of 'prosits' to Government and the AFM for this action. Whether it was they or the Italian boat's captain that did this prosit to all round. This is the way we should be handling things. Turn these people round and send them back. We cannot host any more. Period. Lets hope this sort of action continues unabated.

@ Denis Catania

It's not "we". It's the captain of the Italian fishing boat Marve. We should not be taking any credit. I doubt whether this captain will be compensated for fuel and for the wear and tear of his asset. At best he will be able to enter it as a "loss" in his tax return. And with some 50 illegals on board, his passage to Tripoli will have been anything but a safe passage.

It is bewildering to see a fishing boat doing what Frontex should be doing instead. Remember that the captain of the Marve is being taxed by the Rome government so that the EU can squander the money on Frontex. The EU continues to stink in its own ineptitude in dealing with illegal trafficking at everyone else's expense and to the benefit of hard core criminals.

Finally!! But can AFM do to this to all these invaders? Also, in Libya they have hospitals, so why didn't they take the sick ones there too?

@Victor Vella: Regarding the drilling for oil, I remember Fenech Adami in a mass meeting at the Luxol grounds at the eve of the elections, mocking A. Sant saying: "In Malta we don't have oil or gas"..or somethign similar, why all those present, intelligently exploded into a loud cheer and enthusiasm as the orcale told them, in other words: "work hard, pay taxes, who cares about the oil if it is to be taken up by the MLP"....simply pathetic!!

This move should have been done ages ago! Better late than never. I hope that this will be a permanent procedure and not one-off!!!
Question: Are all these fishing boats who bring us illegal immigrants monitored by our Army or besides fishing fish as a by-catch also fish illegal immigrants?????

@Franco Farrugia: Basically easy MrFarrugia, I lie down after watching the nightly news, and simply go to sleep.Sometimes my arms wrapped around a hottie and sometimes wrapped around another pillow. A feathered one that is. As I don't like to put my head on foam. Why you have a problem sleeping Mr Farrugia? Poor state of health, doesn't mean dying.
@Victor Vella: Do you know how far they were from Libya or Malta? If they were close to the middle, I still believe they should have been sent to Libya.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Spanish news sites are reporting that the fishing boat saved the migrants after the Italians refused to do so, claiming they were not in Italian jurisdiction and that negotiations with Libya are currently stalled.

Well, at least the way we acted the last time a Spanish boat picked up some immigrants seems to have dissuaded these fishermen from trying to bring them to Malta, which is something.

Here are the links in case anyone is interested in the Spanish articles:
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2008/08/21/espana/1219335728.html
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/pesquero/Santa/Pola/rescata/49/inmigrantes/cien/millas/Tripoli/elpepuesp/20080821elpepunac_20/Tes

From the comments posted I am happy as I am not alone in stating that we are too weak regarding illegal immigrants and that is what they are no matter what certain media and people have tried to introduce into the language which was 'irregular immigrant'.

Anyhow although this is good news this is a trickle of good news as in a mass of bad news others still come. I do not understand why they had to bring the two to a hospital here surely in Libya they have hospitals!

Let's hope Libya does what it is supposed to do but don't hold your breath. This time they were in one mood but tomorrow they'll be in another. They react according to how one person feels at the time and not any international or moral law.

Whoa hold them tight, your horses I mean, if they were in the Libyan search and rescue zone then Libya has to take them back as otherwise it would be flouting international laws, if not then maybe the hug from Fenech Adami did it's trick, and with John Dalli back in Goverment heq we can only expect good things from Libya as his relations with the goverment of that country has allways been good,Now maybe we can drill for oil or natural gas who knows October is not that far away.Regarding send ding the sick to Libya as well , one takes a sick person to the nearest hospital no matter what his nationality , creed or colour is.

finally!!! a clear message to libya that this has to somehow stop!!!!

@ Franco Farrugia,

I will sleep much better and with my head on a comfy pillow too, when the last of these illegal invaders have been repatriated to their country of origin.

That would be super sweet !!

@ C Borg, Denis Catania - ' I think we should have attempted to take the patients to Libya too'.
There is only one comment I can pass at this juncture: QAS INTOM HODOR UKOLL!
KIF TPOGGU RASKOM FUQ L-IMHADDA BIL-LEJL, GHIDULI!!!!!!

Good news and about time. Well said C Borg, I agree with you. I think we should have attempted to take the patients to Libya too. We should only bring them to Malta at last resort. This is positive news. Good job Maltese citizens keep up the pressure on Castille.

Either this story is flawed or there has been some gigantic breakthrough in Malta-Libya relations that no one has revealed. If Libya has agreed to accept the return of illigal emigrants who would have left from Libyan ports that is a huge piece of news that the Maltese Government should have made known. Libya has so far resisted taking back illegal emigrants who are known to have started their Mediterranean adventure from Libyan ports.

For decades Libya has complained that whenever a positive event involving Libya takes place no one mentions it. I know they have been right on other occasions but , if this new development has taken place, the Libyan Government should be due for a great deal of public appreciation from all the European riperian states plagued by the arrival of thousands of trafficked human beings .

The next humanitarian act desired from the Libyan Government will be for the Libyan Authorities to clamp down on the hundreds of people traffickers who have made a business out of this despicable criminal act. That would be getting Europe closer to Libya in a real, tangible manner.

So there is a way how to turn back illegal migrants. WE hope that this will continue to be the norm in the future. The complacency of the authorities regarding this grave problem is worrying.

But where was the boat found?

I think this is a missing important piece of information.

Finally, something has been done but hopes it doesnt stop there.

Well done ..... what's the catch??? the immigrants were only returned to Tripoli because Tripoli accepted them. How many more is it ready to accept?

What's to be expected now??? The immigrants will soon understand that in order to enter Europe they must need immediate medical attention. It is probably safe to expect Mater Dei to be the next immediate destination for many immigrants.

We're on the right track. Well done - and this is how it should be from now on. Help the ones in poor state of health ( then return back ) and return immediately the ones in good state.
I think AFM won a gold medal for the way they handed this situation.
Keep it up.

Indeed. Some good news at last. We have returned to Mr.Gaddafi a few of his lost sheep.

However we still have about 3,000 left to return to Libya. Lets hope for the best.

Yes, well done of course. But do not put your hopes too high. Somebody may start barking at us and obviously we get terrified and comply.

Now let's hope the returned migrants spread the word amongst other would be migrants that malta at last is standing up for its rights. The worrying part is that it was not a maltese craft that returned them to libya.

Welldone To the Goverment and the A.F.M, Good Job Indeed.
Keep it up,
Thank You.

This firm just move by our Government is a great positive move indeed.
Let us keep this up now.

This action will send the message that though a small country, Malta, while always being very generous and hospitable towards those in need, is not ready to be abused of its generosity.

Frontex and Libya, should consider offering a reward of say €20,000 to anyone, including the illegal immigrants themselves, who could offer information about the identity of the criminal people traffickers. I am sure there cannot be a large number of these gangs.

Well done, let's hope this becomes the norm.

Let us emphasise that "we" means EU and other non-EU Mediterranean countries, something which has been long-due, since 1971 in Helsinki! The importance of the Mediterranean basin is many times put aside when we all know it has always been and shall always remain the fulcrum of civilisation, north, south, east and west! Well done all!

Good news indeed. Let us hope that this becomes the norm.
Let us hope that the Libyan authorities question them in an effort to track down the gangs behind this criminal trade in human beings.

now that is good news. Well done! hope we can do this more often.

The good news is that those migrants (NB they are NOT refugees) who did not need help were returned to Libya, which is where they came from and from where most of the illegal immigrants are being sent. If this is the sign of a more cooperative attitude by Libya, it is most welcome. If it is the sign of a firmer attitude by the Maltese government, it is overdue but welcome too.