Wednesday, 1st October 2008 - 12:24CET
AD says Malta should sign Immigration Pact
Alternattiva Demokratika said today that while it viewed the new EU Immigration Pact as not being enough for Malta, it disagreed with those political forces that are insisting that Malta should not sign the pact.
MLP leader Joseph Muscat has led calls for the pact not to be signed. Justice and Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici in an interview with timesofmalta.com this morning gave a detailed explanation of the benefits of the pact for Malta.
Stephen Cachia, Alternattiva Demokratika spokesman on democracy and civil rights said: "We at Alternattiva Demokratika had urged the Maltese government to veto any text if it did not make a specific reference to responsibility sharing and to the restrictive effects of the Dublin regulations.
"However, as a result of the agreement reached Malta has attained both the mention of responsibility sharing as well as the possibility to relocate immigrants with asylum status and special protection to other EU countries".
Arnold Cassola, Alternattiva Demokratika leader, added: "This is therefore a first step in the right direction, even though it is not enough because it is on a voluntary basis on the part of the other EU states. AD considers that it should be on a permanent and compulsory basis.
"Having said this, this is the first time that the principle of responsibility sharing and of relocation, albeit on a voluntary basis, is now part of the EU policy. It would be sheer folly for the Maltese government not to sign the agreed compromise text, which is certainly an improvement on the previous existing situation". "Malta must continue in its political work to develop this first result into a compulsory one", concluded Prof. Cassola.
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These are not tourists, who come and go and at least pay for their services, including high utility rates. Towns of immigrants are arriving every summer. And this is unsustainable.
Who is paying for air conditioning thousands of immigrants? Why is it that oil prices goes down and our utility rates go up?
The agreement if implemented may close another venue for immigrants to leave to the mainland. So we will be totally at the mercy of those who want to accept immigrants, if ever.
Do not give us any more moral and legal obligation hogwash. The issue has now become political. Once the EU refused formal compulsory burden sharing, Malta has the right to prevent influxes as much as possible. There should be no discrimination between what countries with land and sea boarders can do . The former can close them at will.
The eu is only great for those who manage to climb on the gravy train which is paid in full by the rest.
Thanks to the help of the MLP lately AD got alot of coverage on the media. Many labour MPs asked politely that AD should join forces with them. (I give credit to Cassola he certainly knows how the play the game of the media)
Whether MLP like it or not only Azzjoni Nazzjonali is also saying that this pact goes against the national interest.
Communist parties might change their colour but never their marxist ideas
Afraid to be kicked out of the E.U ?......I don't think so , Malta has other friends in the world.
Like the proverbial Chinese that fell off his horse said.....I wanted to get off anyway !
AD has pioneered in an allmighty fight for improving the rights of illegal immigrants. They had always been on the forefront to bring the plight of illegal immigrants to the attention of the local media and to foreign people too. Obviously without offering any solutions except to plead with the government to continue pumping in money in the illegal immigration problem.
But the contradiction is at its best, AD does not think that the Immigration Pact is the very best but then they are in favour of the government signing!
So why were the Maltese people told that we were wanted in the eu which was presented as the great Nirvana?
@Kenneth Cassar
Please stop moralizing. Yes, the only way is to put them back on their own boats after making them safe, tow them to just outside Libyan territorial waters and leave them with just enough fuel to make it to the Libyan shore.
Exceptional circumstances require exceptional measures.
@philip pace
Cassola's alliance lies squarely with Italy. He can stop daydreaming of being an MEP. He only made it once in Italy as an MP, but never and will never make it in Malta.
I guess you can pretty much say that we are already in that kind of a situation on certain matters.
What does the Italo/Maltese Dr.Arnold Cassola mean with the text, '"This is therefore a first step in the right direction, even though it is not enough because it is on a voluntary basis on the part of the other EU states. AD considers that it should be on a permanent and compulsory basis."
The majority of the bloggers want that first and fourmost that Malta gets its dues. Once we get those long coming dues from Mount Olympus we might think of signing this insignificant piece of paper.
Where does your alliance lie Dr.Cassola?
And obviously if our Prime Minister signs this then his days are numbered.
Why is it that politicians in power and (in the case of Dr.Cassola) those who think are, never listen to people's voices, feelings and most of all aspirations?
Why are we being let down by these incompetent politicians who would never serve the Maltese people, first and foremost?
Why should we as a small nation bear this massive weight that is going to bring us down in the next years while bigger nations than ours are non chalant about it?
Any answers?
Stale bananas
The Government doesn’t have a clue on the immigration crisis. It is veering between complacency and panic. Dithering on key decisions, muddling along on half measures.
How one can describe this as a win for malta baffles me.
So far it is only the Labour Party that is striking exactly the right, reassuring, note.
Cazzola who???????
'... even though it is not enough because it is on a voluntary basis on the part of the other EU states. AD considers that it should be on a permanent and compulsory basis.
"Having said this, this is the first time that the principle of responsibility sharing and of relocation, albeit on a voluntary basis, is now part of the EU policy. It would be sheer folly for the Maltese government not to sign the agreed compromise text, which is certainly an improvement on the previous existing situation". "Malta must continue in its political work to develop this first result into a compulsory one"
Perhaps S. Farrugia and M. Seychell should reflect that their comments will only fuel racist and xenophobic sentiments that does not do well for any cause.
or should I say that the only ones who benefit from a tense climate between the Maltese and the irregular immigrants are the far-right people.
All great achievements are accomplished step by step. This immigration pact is one great step forward which specifically mentions load-sharing. This can only be to our benefit.
Stephen, have you not read your history lessons and learnt of mass population migrations forced by the cruel machinations of war, civil or otherwise? It is here with us and, unlike a century ago, this time we are not fleeing but entrusted with caring for the fleeing.
Let's just hope that common sense prevails and the Government holds back from acquescing to this red herring (though from listening to ministerial statements there is more probability that pigs will someday be able to fly than government standing its ground on this matter). Well, hope springs eternal.
I hope people will understand that your "proposal" is neither moral nor legal. Your beloved "right" party may harp on and on about what "should be done", but in the highly improbable case that it would be elected to parliament, it would have to face the fact that some promises shouldn't be made because they cannot be kept.
If something is not good no amount of sweet talk will render it better. This Goverment will never take the much needed harsh stand against Europe, the PN's history within the EU so far was always to roll over and waggle its tale.
Well what do you expect when negotiating with the EU is perceived as wanting out of the EU. Unfortunately it is the whole of the Maltese nation that will have to pay for this incompetence and irresponsibility.
I hope that people understand that the only solutiopn is to return the immigrants at 14 miles out at sea or ship them out of Libya, to another African country.
This time- vote Right to get it right.
All other Eu countries will come up with understandably justified reasons as to why they cannot take illegal immigrants off us in significant numbers.
And who can blame them? Who in his right mind is willing to open the floodgates of social problems for his country?
Your stance is not going to earn you an MP, more so an MEP.
The Maltese population already gave you an answer at the last election.
Maybe that's why you caused such a row over foreign residents to vote at the EP elections?
With the national interest, there should be no compromise.
AD also missed the point that this is a step backward from the Dublin II, cause in general it will also make it harder for immigrants in Malta to move to the mainland (biometric visas). This fact was also carefully hidden by the government.
People should be wary who is guarding their interest.