Minister upbeat about Frontex despite chief's admission of failure

John Debattista

Sep 23rd 2008, 09:10

Please GOD Help US , WHAT is K.M.B saying, that he thinks the Maltese are Stupid ???????????????

Martin Farrugia

Sep 22nd 2008, 23:42

Can someone please explain how Mifsud Bonnici was chosen for this portfolio in the first place? He definitely is in the wrong job.

John Spiteri

Sep 22nd 2008, 22:20

Perhaps the minister sees benefits that we don't. After all we have all heard about the concrete foundations for immigrants' tents, direct orders for bedding, catering and what not.

for some, illegal immigration has been manna indeed. God bless them.

S. Spiteri

Sep 22nd 2008, 19:56

Louise, NGOs have no authority to operate the military assets of any nation state.

J Abela

Sep 22nd 2008, 19:49

Onorevoli Ministru. Ma jidhirlekx li qed tipprova tbellalna r-ross bil-labra.

Xi hsibtna, cwiec?

Jew tant telgha ghal rasna l-poter li tahsbu li l-poplu m'ghandux mohh biex jahseb?

P Debono

Sep 22nd 2008, 19:07

Mr. Mifsud Bonnici, please stop insulting the Maltese people's intelligence. The so-called Frontex "mission" has been a miserable failure, simply adding to Malta's allure for these illegals and the human traffickers that bring them here. We've heard from the chief himself that the illegals are instructed to sink their dinghies before they reach Maltese shores so that they're rescued by Frontex.

Is this what the most densely populated country in Europe deserves?

marion pace

Sep 22nd 2008, 18:32

@malcolm seychell
Back at the 80s KMB did a better Job!

I Abela

Sep 22nd 2008, 18:09

@ David Seychell - Couldn't have said it better. Agree 100%. The minister is trying to justify the unjustifiable, for the (i lost count of how many times) time, this administration is trying, 'ONLY TRYING' to take us for a ride. Dear Minister, RESIGN.

Chris Borg

Sep 22nd 2008, 17:39

either:

elaborate on the many benefits Malta has reaped

or:

RESIGN DR. CARMELO MIFSUD BONNICI.

A Camilleri

Sep 22nd 2008, 17:30

The least thing that I would have expected from Dr Mifsud Bonnici was to absolve Mr Laitinen who was straight forward and sincere to accept defeat of the Frontex Mission.

Little wonder then that illegal immigration has escalated. This merely shows that the Hon. Minister is not only unable to address the worsening situation but does not even care and prefers to bury his head in the sand.

David Seychell

Sep 22nd 2008, 16:56

@Sandro Pace and the like.

"I cannot understand the minister's reasoning. Results and logic are giving reason to the Frontex chief."

The government invested a lot of his 'anti-immigration' credibility in this Frontex project. So what do you expect a politician to say? 'Sorry but the solution we promised only made things worse? Or 'We wasted a lot of precious time'?

Come on guys, get real.

Raymond Sammut

Sep 22nd 2008, 15:47

@ I. M. Dingli

B Borg is right. I only realised upon second reading. This is what Mr Laitinen said:

"Through this mission, the AFM recovers 80 per cent of the costs of its patrol missions off the coast of Malta."

The way I understand it now: the Maltese taxpayer pays 100 in advance to maintain the patrol boats, and then gets back 80 at the end of the seasonal nightmare.

In other words, Malta has a patrol fleet at an 80% discount, thanks to the EU. It is called an "EU subvention", or thank you for nothing.

This is truly adding insult to injury -- the Maltese taxpayer paying through the teeth so that Malta can be abused on a large scale by human traffickers and by the illegals who collaborate with them.

malcolm seychell

Sep 22nd 2008, 15:33

''Dr Mifsud Bonnici would not say whether Malta is prepared to use the veto should an agreement not be reached. "We will be insisting on this (burden sharing) through reasoning, persuasion and perseverance."

This problem should be left in the hands of a proper minister, who is ready to take action and not play with words. Dr Mifsud Bonnici already showed us that he is not capable to maintain his position as a minister.

Even KMB would do a much better job

Andre` Micallef

Sep 22nd 2008, 15:32

Dr Mifsud Bonnici's placidity and nonchalance beggar belief (besides testing our wafer-thin patience and insulting our intelligence). We have heard it from Frontex's chief himself that it has been a complete failure at deterring illegal immigration (as if we didn't already know!).

Government's measures to halt this unstoppable influx of immigrants and deal with those already here should be as follows: 1) IMMEDIATELY withdraw from the Dublin convention, thus halting any future entries by illegal immigrants; 2) start repatriating those immigrants (or, rather, economic refugees) back to their countries of origin, such as Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Sierra Leone etc. (those countries with no ethnic strife). It's obviously not enough but Government has to start flexing its muscles before we get swamped by this human tidal wave. Those immigrants coming from Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan (incl. Darfur) and other war-torn countries / regions can be dealt with at a later stage.

And my last heartfelt appeal to Government: PLEASE stop dreaming about this blessed Burden Sharing. If implemented, this will only serve to attract more and more illegals to Malta as we will become merely a bus-stop towards terminus Europe.

louise vella

Sep 22nd 2008, 15:00

Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said: “Frontex is a good measure and would be more effective if there were a stronger presence in the Mediterranean sea. The principle is good and needs to be strengthened”.


Yes, but how?


Frontex needs to be strengthened by being mandated to protect the southern sea borders of the EU, that is, by disallowing entry by unauthorised persons and sea-craft. It should stop any traffickers in human beings from entering Malta’s and the EU’s southern borders simply by turning them away, possibly also giving them some food and water.


Of course, traffickers in human beings and their accomplices (the trafficked themselves) will play tricks, like sinking their boats. In that case Frontex will have a spare boat ready, one of the many we have collected, and tell the trafficked to get on the boat – if not it’s their problem. We shall see how quickly they will board the boat for dear life.


One thing is certain: Frontex should not be led by some do-gooder NGO.

Alexander Morana

Sep 22nd 2008, 14:30

Is this another joke of the day, dear Minister? This Minister of the Interior is soooooo reassuring us that he can accomdate another 2000, illegals!!!!!
' Come on bring them on ' he should have said.

Another clown has joined this circus.

C.Borg

Sep 22nd 2008, 14:23

Really we are in a tangle. We have a Frontex chief who admits failure. We have an MEP struggling to increase Frontex's budget. We have a minister praising Frontex's benefits. AND we have a spellbound government, a farcical opposition, spineless unions, a DR.jekyll and Hyde media and the list never ends.
Let me ask. What happens when you go to someones house and you are not welcome and possibly kicked out. Do you go again? And the answer is NO.
How is it that with all of our investigations we never managed to turn back one of these boats or apprehend the culprits but instead had Frontex and our AFM helping them in? Do you think that if we turned back just a couple of them they would have dared to take the risks, incurred expenses, etc. The answer is NO. But for some reason we never had the brains to do it, Frontex and all.
The Maltese have now sent a clear message to one and all. Enough of this mess - all of you stand up to your responsibilities. Do and speak something sane - not senseless statements that adds to the existing woes. We deserve better.

Michelle Dali

Sep 22nd 2008, 13:11

It is unbelievable that despite the fact that the chief of Frontex himself has admitted that the mission is a failure and that the increased patrols were actually attracting rather than deterring immigrant arrivals, Dr Mifsud Bonnici still insists it should continue! One cannot help but wonder if he is the right person for the job of Home Affairs minister. Is he really working towards trying to find a solution to the problem, or is he trying to make it worse?

Between insisting on burden sharing and increasing Frontex patrols, our representatives in Brussels seem intent on encouraging and facilitating human trafficking and at the same time, exacerbating Malta's illegal immigration problems.

Joanne Micallef

Sep 22nd 2008, 13:08

The only people that are benefiting from frontex are the human traffickers, Mr Laitinen yesterday acknowledged what many of here have been saying all summer.

Unless Libya decide to co operate Frontex is and will always remain useless, a waste of money, and last but not least m definitely more immigrants for Malta.

d. borg

Sep 22nd 2008, 12:56

Benefits? What benefits? Whose side are you on Minister? Please resign or move on to another ministry

Dane Cauchi

Sep 22nd 2008, 12:14

Could the honorable Mifsud Bonnici mention to us common mortals the “reaped benefits?”

Sandro Pace

Sep 22nd 2008, 12:00

I cannot understand the minister's reasoning. Results and logic are giving reason to the Frontex chief. Can the minister explain how more presence can deter influx, with the present Frontex mandate? whatever it is.

Frontex can only be effective if vast amount of patrolling resources are supplied, which would scare off such vessels. This is impossible. But even then, if they unload immigrants just within Libyan waters, they can do nothing to prevent. Traffickers will always find unpatrolled holes.

When statistics start talking of the amount of traffickers caught, ships boarded, captured, or sunk, sea chases....then we start giving credibility to the minister. This should to be a war of attrition. It will eventually make it riskier and expensive for traffickers and immigrants.

The message to the immigrants should also be that as long as they are on these unloading vessels, they are not safe, as targetted ammunition can be used against criminals who refuse stop. Malta has the right to such options. But if we are afraid to use what patrol boats are armed with, at least within our S&R, presence is all useless.

Criminal activity cannot be deterred by saintly manners. Just dont be part of it.

Anthony Gatt

Sep 22nd 2008, 11:37

I am honestly puzzled by the fuzzy logic of the majority of columnists and reporters...

It is true that Frontex does not solve Malta's immigration problems... but then again, what rational thinker ever thought it would? Frontex is, was and will remain nothing more than a tool dealing with specific aspects of the immigration problem; namely the strain on AFM resources in carrying out their international obligations to patrol the borders of the EU and to engage in search and rescue missions. This task will be carried out by the AFM with or without Frontex... So why oh why would any rational thinking individual advocate the shutting down of Frontex operations?

With respect to the misplaced comments that Frontex has solved the immigration problem in other countries; it was not Frontex that solved their problem but the repatriation agreements that were struck between relevant countries. Frontex merely provides enforcement of these agreements!!

Finally, I can understand that sentiment continues to run high... But while it may be convenient to crown Frontex as our saviour and then destroy it when it fails to deliver, I cannot find a more subtle way of describing such populism than "merely misguided"!!

Edwin Mifsud

Sep 22nd 2008, 11:06

Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici is cute in his on special way.

He is either burring his head in the sand of has even failed to see a failure.

When Dr. A. Sant said that Malta was not doing too well Gonzi asked us "Who are you going to believe? Alfred Sant or the E.U. who told us, job well done?"

What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

Who are we to believe regarding frontex? Dr. Mifsud Bonnici or the Chief of Frontex employed by the E.U.?

Stop insulting our intelligence.

Admit the failure and resign!!

(As NONE of our politicians know the meaning of resign I've looked it up myself for them.

Resign : relinquish, surrender, handover, give up office, retire, admit defeat)

B Borg

Sep 22nd 2008, 10:51

@ I. M. Dingli:
Malta still forks out 20% of the Frontex costs.

The minister needs to clarify what he meant by "many benefits". Many more illegals perhaps, and the associated unnecessary spending and burdens?

The only "benefits" I can see is a flood of cheap unskilled labour (on top of an already oversaturated cheap labour supply) for unscruplous employers, depressing the already low Maltese wages, which in real terms have nose-dived (I, for one, do not agree with the governments´ preferred method of measuring inflation). Then again, the EU views cheap labour and depressed or negative wage growth as competitive and a benefit.

This supposedly cheap supply of labour is costing the taxpayer dearly in terms of the free food, free accommodation, monthly cheques of €160 each (for doing nothing but being a bum, a nuisance, a burden and an illegal trespasser), free mobile phones (and credit top-ups), medical services, security personnel, and so forth. Then again, ministers seem immune to the burdens of taxation, inflation, earning a living and everything else.

jimmy magro

Sep 22nd 2008, 10:41

well said. I need not add anything to the arguments below and to the blogs of yesterday. This is a clear example of the three monkeys.

Charmaine Chetcuti

Sep 22nd 2008, 10:17

emmmmm benefits?????? where are they?

l Galea

Sep 22nd 2008, 10:11

The mind boggles

Charles Sammut

Sep 22nd 2008, 10:08

I always had strong suspicions that Dr Mifsud Bonnic's is not competent to administer his Ministry.

He has now unequivocally confirmed them.

At least Mr Laitinen was quite candid about how Frontex has acted as a magnet for illegal immigrants. OK, it took him some time to realise what has been obvious to most of us for a long time, namely that illegal immigrants were purposefully putting themselves in distress situations to force rescue.

But those of us who stated the truth were invariably labeled as "rabid racists" by this very newspaper's columnists.

And we say the same about burden sharing. It will attract even more illegal immigrants with the hope of settling in the EU or USA. Of course 99% of them would not be eligible and we will get stuck with them.

There are none so blind and deaf as those who will not look and listen.

john fenech

Sep 22nd 2008, 10:00

Maybe the negative effort by Frontex is to be used as a political leverage by the Minister, in that case good luck.
On the other hand the Minister must explain why the head of Frontex, for the second time admitted that exercise is not effective in Malta’s case. And also explain to the nation why the number of illegal immigrants is on the increase in spite of the Frontex strong presence! And be specific about the “reaped benefits”

We sincerely hope that this time around Malta’s voting responsibility at the EU will be in consideration of the Nation’s requirement!

Adrian Micallef

Sep 22nd 2008, 09:45

Frontex is not and was never meant to be the magic formula to solve the illegal immigration problem. It is just one part of the puzzle. Had there not been Frontex, AFM would have had to do the job out of its own resources. If this job is not done, the other option would be to let migrants in difficulty drown. Now how many of you would advocate this ??

Edward Zammit

Sep 22nd 2008, 09:39

Is a record number of new illegal immigrants a benefit ? Where is this world coming to !!

Iain Sims

Sep 22nd 2008, 09:31

"We have reaped many benefits from [Frontex]"?? Is he speaking on behalf of the illegal immigrants?

I. M. Dingli

Sep 22nd 2008, 09:30

Can the minister please explain the benefits of Frontex. The only thing which comes to mind could be the fact that we can get some monetary funds out of it, il-bqija boqqqqqq