Immigrant arrivals exceed local birth rate

Raymond Sammut

Oct 17th 2008, 00:49

@ Evarist Saliba

At long last, you have explained why you made the omission:

“…who was responsible for setting up the latter body [Commission for Refugees] is completely irrelevant to the effect that this body may have had on illegal migration…”

What you are claiming here is exactly what Dr Eddie Fenech Adami, Dr Tonio Borg and Dr Laurence Gonzi want the Maltese people to continue to believe between now and 2013, just as they had wanted them to believe between 2002 and 2008.

This is not "playing a political game", as you have unjustly accused me of twice. Nor is it about "correcting" other contributors' views, as you take the liberty to do. This is about political accountability in a democratic system, and freely expressing one's concerns through a medium kindly provided by The Times.

Evarist Saliba

Oct 16th 2008, 15:53

@ Raymond Sammut

It seems that my comments preceeding the ones below were not transmitted or received. In brief, they were that I reject, once again, your claim that I am guilty of any omission. I set out to correct misleading statements, and as far as I am aware, there were none in connection with either the Emigrants Commission or the Commission for Refugeees which needed correction.

Pointing out who was responsible for setting up the latter body is completely irrelevant to the effect that this body may have had on illegal migration, unless that is, one is aimng at scoring points, or in other words, playing a political game.

Evarist Saliba

Oct 16th 2008, 15:02

@ Raymond Sammut

Further to my earlier comments, which I had to interrupt, I find your description of "bona fide refugees (who) could be resettled" a concocted definition that does not exisit anywhere else. It is such loose thinking which creates confusion and tends to mislead.

Finally, all along I have accepted the figures quoted by the Emigrants Commission and repeated by others, because of the high regard in which I hold the Commission.Besides, I do not have figures at hand for the sake of comparision. As you must be aware, these figures have now been seriously challenged and there has been no answer.

Before I add another comment I await the reply by the Emigrants Commission to these challenges.

Raymond Sammut

Oct 15th 2008, 20:22

@ Evarist Saliba

In 2002, Malta had a PN government headed by Dr Fenech-Adami. His MoHA was Tonio Borg. Tonio Borg was responsible for the establishment of the Commission for Refugees in 2002.

This is not "playing partisan political games" as you are unfairly claiming. This is what took place in 2002. Fenech-Adami and Tonio Borg were the architects of this Commission which neither the Borg-Olivier nor the Mintoff governments ever contemplated, in the interest of the Maltese people.

Before the Commission was established in 2002, Malta was in a position to assist bona fide refugees. Bona fide in the sense that they could be resettled.

Following the establishment of the Commission in 2002, the "boat cases started" while the "resettlement programmes stopped". The result was that for six consecutive years since 2002, Malta accumulated thousands of illegal immigrants that, on the one hand, cannot be resettled while on the other, the Gonzi government has not repatriated.

In each of your comments you systematically omitted this very obvious and important connection between the establishment of the Commission for Refugees in 2002 and the accumulation of illegal immigrants that followed immediately afterward. Why the omission?

Evarist Saliba

Oct 14th 2008, 18:52

@Raymond Sammut

Your dragging in the Nationalist Party reflects on your approach to this problem. I am not playing partisan political games.

In my contributions I have criticised this government, although you may not have noticed this because of some blinkers which came in the way.

I also said that one cannot exclude some link between the changing of the guard at theMalta end on how we treated the problem of illegal migration, and what we are facing now. You also missed this.

What exactly is your agenda?

I am not going to engage in a comparision of the work of the Emigrants Commission and the Commission for Refugeees, because the nature of the problem may not be quite the same. For exanple, the 3,153 dealt with by the Emigrants Commission may have been the type, in their majority, for whom resettlement in the USA, Canada and Australia may have been easier.

M Grima

Oct 14th 2008, 18:04

We need to put our foot down with the EU now before this matter gets worse, being such a small country makes us more susceptible to faster changes and i doubt any of us would like to see the maltese way of life going up in smoke as we become over populated with people who do not truly belong here

David Seychell

Oct 13th 2008, 20:31

@Antoine Vella (Balzan)

"...it fueled racist sentiments;.."

The problem of racism and irregular immigrants are 2 distinctive problems and should be tackled separately. Treating them as if they were the same problem is what really fuel racism.

Yes, we all shall be cautious in what we say, and this especially applies to politicians etc. But NOT by hiding the truth, but by saying all the truth i.e.:

1) We are one of the most burdened country in the world, and this is clearly unfair and must be solved. We should give refuge to a number of people that is PROPORTIONAL to our country's special circumstances. We should help to integrate them in our society, but if this number is too big, our society will not be able to digest it.

2) All human beings are different in one way or another to all others, but we are all the same in what makes us human beings i.e. the human dignity. Some of these differences are significant: sexual orientation, race, beliefs etc So what? Imagine for example that my mother is short,ugly and not very intelligent, would that make my mother any less human being? NO.

David Seychell

Oct 13th 2008, 17:28

@Antoine Vella(Balzan)

"The statement of the Emigrants' Commission was pointless because..."

I don't think it is POINTless, I think the commission's point was that we have now gone beyond any reasonable limit. Charity is a wonderful virtue. But charity is not charity if it doesn't come from the heart. Maltese people feel abused, and USED by the EU as if Malta was EU's breakwater agaisnt the waves of irregular immigrants.

"we want our Children...to keep a Maltese Identity!"

What is wrong with that? Aren't we all proud of our maltese identity? And WHO are YOU or ME to judge if keeping a maltese identity is good or wrong? We are living in a democratic country -where the people's will is sovereign-, and I think that the maltese people have a right to decide what they want or don't want for themselves and their country. This -roqgha art- is not just our country, it is our HOME. Hence we are over-protective.

“replaced by third world immigrants and mixed-race populations”

I think that they consider multiculturalism as good as a mixutre of milk-and-peach-juice in the same glass. WHO are we to impose it against their democratic will?

Raymond Sammut

Oct 13th 2008, 17:18

@ Evarist Saliba

It is not what I say that counts, as you are unfairly claiming.

It is what the PN government did in 2002 that counts, and which was immediately followed by the events to which the Emigrants Commission is referring:

“Such resettlement programmes stopped in 2002 and when the boat cases started, …”

What started the “boat cases” in 2002?

You gave a long list in your first comment in which you exonerated the PN government from any fault for the large influx of illegal immigration into Malta that started in 2002.

In your list you omitted what is clearly the most important fact, namely, that the PN government established the Commission for Refugees in 2002.

You still have not explained why you made this omission, considering that the connection between the Commission for Refugees established by the PN government in 2002 and the “boat cases” starting in 2002 is so glaringly obvious.

Evarist Saliba

Oct 13th 2008, 09:01

@Raymond Sammut

I find your remarks completely unrelated to what I have written, and I do not see why  I should follow your train of thought. Before I made my comments on certain aspects of the illegal migrartion that we are facing I wrote:

"Some comments being made are misleading at best". As far as I am aware no misleading comment has, or had, been made about the Commission for Refugees, and therefore I made no reference to it. What is strage about that?
At the same time I cannot agree with your assessment that the ONLY THING THAT COUNTS is what you say. The experience of Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus, which has nothing to do with whatever happened in Malta, clearly shows this. To imply that the present flow of illegal migration across the Mediterranean has anything to do with the establishment of the Commission of Refugees in Malta, or that this Commission is to blame that the rate of resettlement is not coping with this massive influx, which Malta never experienced before, is simply ridiculous.

M. Mercieca

Oct 13th 2008, 02:21

Michelle Dali
I fully agree with you 200%. Immigrants should reach Europe in safe way.
Here we should ask, would Africa allow Brain-Drain? Would LEGAL immigrants be accepted and fully integrate among EU population? Would they enjoy equal rights including political rights as EU citizens? In my view if we fail to do so, we would end up having a democratic deficit.

Europe has been lecturing all African countries about democracy. It would only be logic that any legal immigrants (none EU citizen), a tax payer lives legally for say, 5 years in any EU country to automatically have the right to VOTE. Failing to do some would again create a democracy deficit; doing so, would mean having the future of any EU government at the hands of immigrants. The issue is very complicated indeed.

I too, don’t expect any EU country would take some irregular immigrants of what we have. The core problem is, would any government from EU accept LEGAL IMMIGRANTS from Africa? In my view, any government does that lose popularity and would give golden opportunities to far-right parties.

David Seychell

Oct 13th 2008, 01:43

@Antoine Vella (Balzan)

"What are you trying to say? The beneficiaries of protection for humanitarian reasons (I assume that is what you mean) are regular immigrants."

You REALLY don't know who are the beneficiaries of international protection?! Evidently you haven't read this article: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20081001/local/immigration-pact-of-great-benefit-for-malta-minister

Anyway, according to Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici the 'beneficiaries of international protection' are the refugees and those granted humanitarian protection. And by regular immigrants I meant normal migrants, like for example an italian citizen who decides to come to live in Malta or vice versa without asking for refugee status or humanitarian protection. Was I crystal-clear this time my dear Mr Vella?

albet grech

Oct 12th 2008, 21:00

Instead of allocating money to member states the eu countries should help to rebuilding the african countries states from where the immigrants are coming

Etienne Bonanno

Oct 12th 2008, 19:51

The sheer idiocy and short-sightedness of mass importation of third world populations to offset population/manpower deficits has been proved time and time again. No wonder the Europeans are wary of going down the same treacherous road again.

If the Europe wants to fill its population deficit it should do it the time honoured way - have more children. If the Europeans are not able to do this because of financial burdens imposed upon them by incompetent governments, then they need to topple those governments without further ado. If they are not willing to do so because they are enjoying their cosy lifestyle without a care in the world, then they deserve extinction, which is indeed the way they are heading right now.

Christine Goodwin

Oct 12th 2008, 18:49

I have been following this debate from England with interest and i have to say prosit Michelle Dali my thoughts exactly you hit the nail on the head

G Falzon

Oct 12th 2008, 18:17

Do we all realise what annual repetitions of the mathematical comparison will mean?

Antoine Vella (Balzan)

Oct 12th 2008, 17:30

David Seychell

The statement of the Emigrants' Commission was pointless because it simply repeated the official statistics and did not add anything new. Moreover, it fueled racist sentiments; the Times journalist who interviewed Mons Calleja referred to this aspect but the answer was evasive.

The Emigrants' Commission should have stated clearly what kind of problems it was talking about. No one has ever denied that the influx of a large number of immigrants presents a logistic challenge but this is not what terrifies racists.

Looking at the comments on this page, some are objecting to the presence of black people because "We will definitely end up outnumbered by them and they will rule us." and "we want our Children and their Chidren to keep a Maltese Identity!"

According to racists, we of the “white west” are being “squeezed” and “replaced by third world immigrants and mixed-race populations” and therefore “Maltese society.....is doomed”

Do you honestly believe that this is what the Emigrants' Commission meant? That Malta is doomed because of immigration? The Emigrants' Commission should have explained itself better to avoid its words becoming tools for racists.

Michelle Dali

Oct 12th 2008, 16:16

@M Mercieca

'Has any body suggested how the EU should fill the population deficit of old Europe?'

The answer to your question is simple. The EU would set up job centres in African countries where people could apply for jobs in a civilized manner and, if accepted, they could be helped with travel expenses, etc to go and settle in the EU country of their choice.

You seem to think that the EU is encouraging people to cross deserts and pay human traffickers to get them into rickety boats on the open sea because they need to fill a population deficit. What a ridiculous idea - risking people's lives so that if, by a stroke of luck, they survived the journey, then Europe could use their manpower! Don't you think that would be a very barbaric and uncivilized way of filling a population deficit?

If, as you say, the EU has a population deficit why don't they simply come to Malta and take a few thousand of the illegal immigrants living here? The answer to that question is this: they don't want illegal immigrants. The proof of that is the fact that no country has volunteered to take any.

Raymond Sammut

Oct 12th 2008, 15:08

@ Evarist Saliba

I can find no explanation in your reply as to why you ignored the establishment of the Commission for Refugees by the current administration in Malta in 2002. A person in your capacity will have known fully the significance of this fact. Yet you left it out of your list in your first "contribution" and gave no explanation for the omission in your second contribution.

Antoine Vella (Balzan)

Oct 12th 2008, 15:05

David Seychell
""Could it be that you forgot that we are talking about beneficiaries of international protection and not regular immigrants?!!" "

What are you trying to say? The beneficiaries of protection for humanitarian reasons (I assume that is what you mean) are regular immigrants.

It's okay, ask the question in Maltese if it's easier for you.

David Seychell

Oct 12th 2008, 13:46

@Antoine Vella (Balzan)

Regarding burden sharing relative to land area or population, I think it is obvious that since malta is already over populated (highest pop density in the EU and 7th in the world) it would be fair -at least for Malta- to be relative to land area and not population. Would you now please answer the question I had made to you: "Could it be that you forgot that we are talking about beneficiaries of international protection and not regular immigrants?!!"

On the contrary I did answer your other question here: http://www.timesofmalta.com/blogs/view/20081005/andrew-borg-cardona/abject-apologies

M. Mercieca

Oct 12th 2008, 13:33

@ Mario Borg
Another comment with a touch of prudence. Thank you

@Joseph Micallef
‘Are we all missing the issue here? This is not about too many immigrants but it’s about very few births from Maltese families! ‘
I say it again your comment, and of @ Mario Borg are the most factual among all.
As you can see, many others have been complaining, pointing fingers and bad-mouth every body. This of course including: UN, UNHCR, EU, Church, NGO’s, Libya, Dr. Gonzi, Dr. Bonnici, Dr. Busuttil, opposition leader, and above all, the immigrants them selves (convenient scapegoats for and present and future negative developments). Has any body suggested how the EU should fill the population deficit of old Europe?
I mean providing a suggestion not talking spaghettis.

frank mercieca

Oct 12th 2008, 13:16

GOOD GOD............this is outrageous!

mario Borg

Oct 12th 2008, 08:24

There are two problems here, one is that few immigrants are repatriated whilst the other is that few Maltese are having children due to economic pressures and various other factors which are breaking the family mechanisms E.G the promotion of women to go to work as if a house wife doesn't have her merits and satisfaction. This is very hard to reverse now as an average salary is not enough for today`s family, so please to all MPs stop boasting of promoting families.

From many of the comments below the problem is being attributed solely to illegal immigration but in fact there are two problems if not more. As usual we Maltese tend to polarize matters. Remember there may be a good and a bad but also two of a kind.

Evarist Saliba

Oct 11th 2008, 16:41

@ Raymond Sammut

Although one cannot exclude the possibility of a link between the 'changing of the guard' in Malta on the modalities of dealing with illegal immigrants, one should not arrive at hasty conclusions, such as "this is the only thing that counts". I have experienced the phenomenon of massive illegal migration by boats when I was ambassador in Spain, Athens and Nicosia, and I find it difficult to accept an "only thing that counts".

My contribution was meant to thank the Emigrants Commission for their study, which should have been carried out, and made known to the public, by government, and to counter misleading comments.

Edric Micallef Figallo

Oct 11th 2008, 14:45

Nothing new for those not blinded by their liberal political correctness or those that want to deny reality. Statistics officially validate what was known without them by all and sundry. As prof. Henry Frendo commented in an article on another English language paper, Malta's repatriation programme is weak. Therefore, we can safely say that we have a social and demographic problem which rest assured will only get worse. Rhetoric about "intercultural dialogue", "multuculturalism", "integration" and the like are failing in Europe. The latest Austrian results come to mind. We see shifts to the right-wing and extreme right in most countries in mainland Europe, not to mention others proudly exclaiming their "moderation" taking on in their programme policies and positions from other not-so-"moderate" forces. Check Spain's socialist government's relatively new tougher stance, not to mention our own Labourite leadership which first votes for (illegal?) immigrant voting rights at EU level and then comes out in Malta with his vote grabbing rhetoric (given the contradiction, I'll consider it as mere electoral strategy), The governing Nationalists have also toughened their stance and are on the right track, thankfully. And AD, they hit the spot by calling for action against Libya.

David Seychell

Oct 11th 2008, 14:43

@Antoine Vella (Balzan)

"The Emigrants Commission in particular and the Maltese Church in general have consistently mishandled the issue, first by ignoring the growth of racism among the so-called Catholic population and now by issuing a pointless statement that will not impress the EU..."

It did IMPRESS US!!

"...have consistently mishandled the issue...by issuing a pointless statement..."

ARE YOU SAYING THAT the Emigrants commission SHOULD NOT HAVE TOLD US THE TRUTH???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I AM SHOCKED!!!!!!

Mario Farrugia

Oct 11th 2008, 13:57

For Malta, this is by far a larger problem than the financial one currently affecting the world as it will surely last for longer.....has Dr. Muscat discussed this when face to face with the authorities in Libya or evaded the subject?....and Dr. Gonzi has to show more teeth when dealing wit hteh EU on this subject.......a referendum is needed on this subject and the result will be tools in the hands of both to get on the next Airmalta flight to Brussels and show a united front on a subject that is worrying ALL of us.

Antoine Vella (Balzan)

Oct 11th 2008, 13:29

David Seychell
It is Mons Calleja's opinion that immigrants should be distributed according to land surface. If the EU Council of Ministers decided that they have to be distributed according to population (i.e. so many immigrants per 1000 locals) then Mons Calleja's contention would fall.

If you checked the link I included in my post you'll have noticed that the EU Statistics Office seems to give more importance to number of immigrants in relation to the population rather than to the size of the country.

Whether, one likes it or not therefore, mandatory burden-sharing would mean that every country, including Malta, would have to abide by the collective decision of the Council of Ministers.

Ian Sammut Dacoutros

Oct 11th 2008, 13:24

I find that this article is disturbing and shocking to say the least. Malta (According to the NSO) had a birth total in 2007 of 3536 babies - total, so far this year round 2400 immigrants arrived - how does that exceed the birth rate? While it is true that there is a problem, it must not be allowed to become a pollitical ball being bounced round. While it is true that Malta being where it is geographically is at the very heart of it and we are statistically one of the hard hit nations we also need to understand that most of these PEOPLE do not intend to be here and most of them actually do leave the very moment they can.

While we respect our nation and the fact that this is a national issue we also need to check figures out and not just take them in like a 'mazzun' a simple search we point out that these numbers do not make any sense at all.

Andrew Gatt

Oct 11th 2008, 12:51

"According to information given in Parliament, 28 persons were resettled in Europe and 141 in the United States between 2006 and 2008."

Some club we've joined. 28 PERSONS IN 2 YEARS!! They're VERY good at busting us regarding Spring Hunting, the privatisation of the Drydocks, Natura this that and the other, etc etc. Illegal Immigration? At the bottom of the EU's Agenda........if it's even there at all.

David Seychell

Oct 11th 2008, 12:16

@Antoine Vella (Balzan)

"If the burden of irregular migration was to be shared equally among European Union countries on the basis of land mass, Malta would barely get 100 immigrants,"

You told me here:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20081006/local/immigration-pact-is-plan-of-action-pm

That with compulsory burden sharing we would take irregular migrants from others in spite of my clear explanation that since Malta was one of the most burdened country in the world, we would never take migrants from other countries. Could it be that you forgot that we are talking about beneficiaries of international protection and not regular immigrants?!!

The people's concerns have been suppressed for fear of being unjustly labeled racist, xenophobic and the like. But now it is clear who was right and who was not quite right.

C. R. Taliana

Oct 11th 2008, 09:59

Me oh my what a surprise!

Richard Magri

Oct 11th 2008, 08:51

Neither party is doing anything about it !!!!! I was all in favour of EU, but now it looks like we will not get any help when we really needed it. We do not need pasta and rice at the moment, but we want this problem solved. Whatever anyone says, this is not racism, they could have been green, red or any color, but a solution must be found as soon as possible.

Raymond Sammut

Oct 11th 2008, 05:18

@ Evarist Saliba

You omitted the only thing that counts, namely, the setting up of the Commission for Refugees in 2002.

The Emigrants Commission said:
"Such resettlement programmes stopped in 2002 and when the boat cases started, ..."

No one can deny the connection between the setting up of the Commission for Refugees in 2002 (cause) and the "boat cases" that started immediately afterward (effect).

Yet you made the omission.

a.cassar

Oct 11th 2008, 00:45

M.Mercieca keeps on insisting that Europe needs these illegals. so I ask again for the umpteenth time. why don't they come and take them off our hands? in fact why don't they go at source and fly them out of Africa to their countries? Mr. Mercieca seems to be saying that this invasion is really a blessing. He has moved from calling it a problem to describing it as a solution to europe's dwindling population. Nature has never failed us. the population problem will stabilize itself in time. One other thing. Mr. mercieca says that because of the decreasing population there will not be enough workers to pay contributions for pensions. With the same argument I say that the low birth problem will result in less pensioners in the future ergo less contributions needed!

joseph Ellul

Oct 11th 2008, 00:24

I have been reading timesofmalta.com for the last 2 months and there is always something that is exceptional to the Maltese islands. These are things like: " immigration arrivals this year, for the first time, exceeded the local birth rate ". This, for sure, should be registered in the Guinness Book of Records. Better still, the Maltese Literature Association ,(is there one?)should start the Maltese book of records or Only in Malta monthly publication. Remember the good old days of " Il-Kotba tal-Moghdija taz-Zmien". The Maltese people have always weaved their way around the obstacles of life and I hope that for the nation's sake you will find a way out of this one too.
Also, just an idea, why don't you establish a camp for these refugees at Marsaxlokk, next to the water. This will be a great opportunity for these illigals to move on to Sicily.

Antoine Vella (Balzan)

Oct 10th 2008, 23:15

"a proper national body involving civil society rather than the Emigrants commission to tackle the issue from the pragmatic, ethical, comprehensive and forward thinking perspective."

I agree that the management of immigration should be taken away from the hands of the Church. The Emigrants Commission in particular and the Maltese Church in general have consistently mishandled the issue, first by ignoring the growth of racism among the so-called Catholic population and now by issuing a pointless statement that will not impress the EU but will fuel the sick imagination of the more insecure and immature elements of our society.

Reading the comments on this page gives me the impression of bursting into a poultry house and panicking all the chickens, causing them to flap around excitedly, squawking and screeching their indignation.

Joseph Micallef

Oct 10th 2008, 23:00

M.Mercieca thanks for your comment. At least someone acknowledged my comment. The rest seem to have overlooked it and continued to happily indulge in their xenophobic comments.

l Galea

Oct 10th 2008, 22:43

M. Mercieca


Maybe the other eu countries need immigrants, though I doubt it, but we certainly do not.

"The Commission said that until 2001, 3,153 refugees and other migrants had arrived in Malta, of whom 2,271 were resettled in other countries such as the United States, Australia and Canada."

This means that 882 remained here.

Since around 11,500 ILLEGAL immigrants came here since 2002 and only a few were repatriated, that means that we have more than 12,000 immigrants including those 882 in one of the most populated countries in the world.

This is apart from destroying the wages and working conditions of Maltese workers and the heavy financial burden on our taxes which we have to pay through our noses for their upkeep.




Repatriation, not integration, MUST be the policy strictly applied.

S. Caruana

Oct 10th 2008, 22:24

Who said they're happy here??? The government should issue passports for these people inorder to let them go to any other country of their choice. ( ermmm who mentioned burden sharing)?????

Emma Xerri

Oct 10th 2008, 22:13

@ Mark Aloisio. Precisely. These so-called multicultural countries are nothing but a sham, which they are now trying to sell to us in Malta and Europe. Multiculturalism divides and destroys. People seek their own kind and live forever in the ghettos. In fact, calling a country 'Multicutlural' is an oxymoron, since a country implies a shared and common history, language and culture.

@M. Mercieca. Here is an excerpt from the paper " Reassessing Immigration Policy" issued by the Frasier Institute

"the speakers also discussed the alleged benefits of immigration, which do not stand up to close examination. For example, though employers benefit when vacant jobs are filled by immigrants, this reduces the incomes of workers and increases poverty.

In addition, when these immigrants spend their earnings, the number of job vacancies may increase rather than decrease because they add to the existing demand for goods and services and often force governments to spend more on the expansion of infrastructure facilities. A number of the papers that discussed labour markets in detail showed mass immigration to be almost universally detrimental to the interests of workers."

Mark Aloisio

Oct 10th 2008, 21:40

P. Debono: I do hope that you manage to go abroad and hopefully not experience what it's like to be made to feel undesirable or discriminated against because of your ethnicity and/or your skin color.

p.piscitrlli

Oct 10th 2008, 21:31

wait another bit when they start having babies,then it will be a real problem coz they are born in malta they are maltese citezins and you can't send them away .just wait and see.

shaun camilleri

Oct 10th 2008, 21:25

You see now - who said there was no problem with illegal immigrants? To those who donate money to certain organisations and take in certain people think again. Act with your wallet. We are already hard pressed with taxes that a lot of it goes to maintain these illegal immigrants.

If one of us falls unemployed and a member of our household is on social you will get around 20 Euro a month extra. Whilst illegal immigrants are supplied with much more.

Stating facts for those who do not allow others to have a different opinion is not being racist. Stop using racism to shut people up.

P Debono

Oct 10th 2008, 21:25

I honestly can't wait until I finish my studies to get out of this country.

Things have got out of hand and no one wants to do anything about it. The situation is pitiful.

Guze Xerri

Oct 10th 2008, 21:08

@M. Mercieca. Brilliant! How about defending the Human Rights of your fellow Maltese for a change

The facts about the population statistics that you are so fond of quoting are nothing but lies; in fact the greatest danger to the world is overpopulation.

All that immigration into Europe is designed to do is to make the wealthy richer and reduce the middle classes to poverty.

The ideal world for these manipulators and the hidden agenda that they are keeping from you is to make everywhere like South America, with a majority population composed of a mixture of races, the sub-race, ruled by the Elite White overlords, who travel about in helicopters so as not to make contact with the dregs of humanity that they have created, as they struggle in search of food in the garbage heaps around their shanty towns.

You wish to be an Activist and champion for third world countries? Start with the same EU that are providing you with these bogus statistics. It was their colonies and now their multinationals that are the root-cause of most of the poverty in Africa .

malcolm seychell

Oct 10th 2008, 21:03

Andrew Camilleri

Whoever tries to set up a new party will be called a racist by the establishment.

It happens all over europe, and it happens here as well.

Gonzi won't do a thing ala berlusconi.

He is a socialist who happened to be in the PN.

Pn now cannot be considered any longer a right wing party. It is a center left government.

Like it or not probably the MLP after AN are the most center right wing party.

Another case of only in Malta

Andrew Camilleri

Oct 10th 2008, 19:29

As if Labour would do anything about it either. The MLP is a socialist party, and socialists (in general) have caused many of the problems we now face due to their ideology. Everyone is also too obsessed with being politically correct. . Gonzi should do a Berlusconi. The EU didn't like what he did, but neither did it do anything about it. Or some decent gentlemen/women should set up a right-wing political party with an actual doable agenda.

Noel Enriquez

Oct 10th 2008, 19:15

I hope our beloved MPs are happy with this news. They seem to welcome this news, since although they could have done something, they placidly did not- and never will. How will this problem ever be solved if our dear MPs are comfortably complacent at doing nothing about this problem? It is the parliament's responsibility to deal with this issue and regretfully they are not. So I hope they're happy with this news.

John C Betts

Oct 10th 2008, 19:12

Ms C Vella says:
"Am I correct in concluding that John Betts is a guest here? .....either send them to larger countries (probably to the one Mr Betts comes from - but I stand to be corrected on this) or else as I suggested earlier."
Incorrect, I'm afraid - I am Maltese, and was born and have always lived here - sending them to 'the one' (country) I come from would mean keeping them here. Unless perhaps you work back to great great great grandad, who was an immigrant from the UK.

Charles Sammut

Oct 10th 2008, 19:07

@ M Mercieca

Why do you persist in quoting debunked myths?

Europe does not need African immigrants. You can rest assured that if it did, they would take them all off us. But it is not going to happen. They do not want them.

The birthrate can easily be boosted. If the funds being spent on problems created by immigrants (especially illegal ones) were used to incentivize indegenous Europeans to have more babies, that problem would be solved.

The government's action might be in harmony with what the EU wants, namely that Malta serves as a mega detention centre........

Vincent Galea

Oct 10th 2008, 18:54

Parents blame their children's friends for leading them Into a life of drugs, drunkeness,and crime.If they fail in school they blame their teacher. Husbands blame their wives for their problems.Wives blame their husbands. Gonzi is blamed because of rainy days during school hours...........our guilt is to heavy to bear...........why don't we start blaming the illegal immigrants for ALL our sins and live happily ever after ?.... ... ..surely our sins will outnumber them!

John Borg

Oct 10th 2008, 18:50

ap grech: izzommx in-nifs!

Paul Muscat

Oct 10th 2008, 18:28

Action speak louder than words. The PN led government is surrendering our sovereignty to the EU, which, -it is now clear-does not care one iota about our problems. Dr Gonzi is bound to defend our interests; other head of states do so. One only has to read what actions Gordon Brown took against Iceland quoting National Security and terrorist security clause
to defend UK savers. This is not about MLP AD or PN it is about us. Wake UP!

K Ellul

Oct 10th 2008, 18:19

WAKE UP DR GONZI!!!!

Everyone is fed up now, this serious issue must be tackled. What is your government waiting for?????

Vincent Zerafa

Oct 10th 2008, 18:18

Well, well.... Is this enough for those who do not see a problem with illegal migration? Or do we have to go to the point of no return before you wake-up??

And to those who are always accusing others of racism...Is this news about racism too?

THESE ARE FACTS NOT RACISM!!

So wake-up and use your vote wisely in the next MEP elections.

Wake-up and use your vote

apgrech

Oct 10th 2008, 17:59

@M Mercieca. The EU strategy is very simple: they don't care about tiny Malta. We don't have lions to show their teeth in Brussels but "nice" and "gentle" people who beg the EU to "do something".

apgrech

Oct 10th 2008, 17:57

It's time that Gonzi calls for an election or hope the MLP find an occasion to vote the government out of office. It's getting scary.

Michelle Dali

Oct 10th 2008, 17:37

@ M Mercieca

According to your reasoning, the other 26 EU countries will be falling over themselves to take the illegal immigrants we have in Malta because they have such a terrible population deficit. Malta, on the other hand, does not have such a deficit but is, in fact, grossly OVERPOPULATED for its size.

Let us hope you are right....

Michael Jones

Oct 10th 2008, 17:19

Here are some more statistics;

Total words used to comment about his article: 4,061
Characters (no spaces): 19,331
Lines: 416
Actions carried out by goverment so far: 0

The goverment doesn't care! it's not Gonzi's problem, he still gets his pay, he doesn't live in Marsa, it's yours! so learn how to live with it!

M. Mercieca

Oct 10th 2008, 17:18

@Joseph Micallef
‘Are we all missing the issue here? This is not about too many immigrants but its about very few births from Maltese families!‘
Practically your comment is the most important among all, and the EU (including Malta) is acting accordingly irrelevant of the hysteria some ‘patriots’ creating.
EU population getting dangerously old
Beyond just ageing, the bloc's population will be decreasing as well.
By 2015, the number of deaths will exceed the number of births in the EU, with immigration becoming the only factor boosting the bloc's population, the survey says.
After an initial increase from 495 million currently to 521 million in 2035, the total population in the EU's 27 member states will again drop to 506 million in 2060.
The population of Bulgaria is to shrink the most (28%), followed by Baltic countries Latvia (26%) and Lithuania (24%), as well as Romania (21%) and Poland (18%).
http://euobserver.com/9/26645/?rk=1

Personally, I endorse the RESPONSIBLE action taken by our government as it goes in harmony with EU strategy to cure population deficit.
Who knows, may be our ‘patriots’ they use the above static’s to add more fuel, hoping to fill 1 Ballot box coming June.

Charles Sammut

Oct 10th 2008, 17:04

"The Commission said that until 2001, 3,153 refugees and other migrants had arrived in Malta, of whom 2,271 were resettled in other countries such as the United States, Australia and Canada.

Such resettlement programmes stopped in 2002 and when the boat cases started, new efforts were embarked upon."

The above statement proves (not that proof is needed) that no country is willing to resettle Africans on its territory.

The pre-boat arrival refugees were mostly from the Balkans and Eastern Europe. People who were displaced by wars brought about by multicultural friction in countries like Serbia and Bosnia.

Michelle Dali

Oct 10th 2008, 17:03

If these alarming statistics had been revealed in any other country, I am quite sure that government would have declared emergency measures to prevent any more illegal immigrants from entering the country! Australia has operated missions to turn boat loads of immigrants back to where they came from and look at the size of the Australian continent compared to tiny Malta. They had plenty of space to keep them if they wanted to. Even Greece, which has over 6000 islands to house illegal immigrants issue deportation orders to the ones not entitled to refugee status!

What is the government of Malta waiting for to take drastic steps to protect its country and its citizens!

I am NOT a racist and I do feel sorry for these people, but we will be feeling sorry for ourselves before long if something isn't done about this situation NOW.

John Borg

Oct 10th 2008, 16:48

So if any proof was ever needed, we now have it! Within a decade, this country will be overrun by homeless, state aid dependant people who will seriously tilt the balance of nature and we, the natives of this little rock will then be the victims. We will then pray that some wise immigrant will maybe have the decency to have mercy on us, as we have had till now. As for Frontex, a serious change of tact is imperitive. Orders must be given that rescue mission must become repatriation missions at the same time. The occupants of any illegal vessel must be taken back to the nearest African shore. If libya won't allow, Libya must have economic santions imposed on by all 27 member states it till it does. Libya can have all the oil in the world, but if Libya can't sell it, the message will sink in.

l Galea

Oct 10th 2008, 16:45

So now the Immigrants Commission have smelt the coffee and are coming round to their senses.

So let's see you encouraging the Government to turn the illegal immigrants around and not allow a single one to remain in Malta.

Let's see you promote the slogan "Repatriation, not Integration".

D.Galea

Oct 10th 2008, 16:39

In short as I understand it, the Maltese society as it is at present is doomed & not enough will be done to change that. If the government doesn't care why should I?

David Muscat

Oct 10th 2008, 16:06

Nobody seems to have pointed out that from the birth rate one must deduct the death rate to arrive at the increase or decrease in population . This means that the increase in population is mainly a result of immigration.

The solution is not to send them to Europe but to turn them back towards Libya. Sending them to Europe will only increase their numbers. When Spain had problems in Melilla they stood their ground and the immigrants stopped trying to go over the wall. Until we make a stand and stop accepting migrants the problems will increase.

Raymond Sammut

Oct 10th 2008, 16:04

This type of information should be issued officially by The National Statistics Office which is governed by the Malta Statistics Authority Act, 2000. A look at the NSO website shows that none of its themes addresses or even acknowledges illegal immigration in Malta.

The Emigrants Commission, located right under the gaze of Dr Gonzi at Castile, is very much the perpetrator of this dire situation. All this report is saying is that we have caused a problem, but unfortunately we are not succeeding in exporting this problem as best as we would like.

We are glad to have brought in all the illegal immigrants, but the EU is not doing its "duty" and take all these illegals so more of them can keep coming.

The guys at this commission are never going to understand that nobody wants these illegals, and Dr Gonzi is going to have to tell the Maltese people (sooner or later) what is he going to do with them. He has at least four years to do it, so apparently he is not too much in a hurry.

@ Sandro Pace
You didn't take it seriously....that bit about the drydocks?

J. Spiteri

Oct 10th 2008, 16:03

A case for celebration or a case of desperation? I wonder which EU country will be the first to accept its share of the burden. We should adopt a "first come, first served" policy; government should expect to be inundated with requests for migrants resettlement in the EU!!

a.cassar

Oct 10th 2008, 15:50

I hardly think this statement by the emigrant commission went down well with the do gooders. It must have come as a shock hearing none other than the commission getting worried about a situation which has been staring us in the face for so long. Now the chickens are coming home to roost and there are not enough trees for all of them!!!

Denis Catania

Oct 10th 2008, 15:42

This a National crisis. The Maltese have to back up all movements against illegal immigrations(of course not racist groups). On this issue we must stick together. Malta needs you.

Joanne Micallef

Oct 10th 2008, 15:31

The way things stand the birth rate will continue to decrease for various reasons which in the end have one common factor....The Cost Of Living together with non existing affordable childcare facilities. .

Besides the illegal immigrant arrivals, on one hand we have the Maltese females which are bearing less children, and on the other hand we have the African females who bear at least 3 children each. You do the math now and someone please explain to me how come our Goverment, the same one that swore to serve and protect this nation, has done nothing so far to protect the future of this country.

louise vella

Oct 10th 2008, 15:13

The problem is that Gonzi and Mifsud Bonnici have abdicated their responsibility to the unelected NGOs. When did we last hear the NGOs whining about the rights of illegal immigrants? Not since the last election.
It's a sign that they are pleased with the way Gonzi and Mifsud Bonnici are dealing (or not dealing) with the problem.
That in itself is worrying, because the vast majority of the Maltese people strongly disagree with the NGOs.
Gonzi and Mifsud Bonnici keep blaming international obligations. But they are lawyers. We have a bunch of lawyers in government. They have been trained to protect rights.
Can't they summon enough political will (in other words, guts) to fight for Malta's rights?
Can't they stand up for Malta's rights?
Do they have always to take a supine position and meekly speak of Malta's obligations?

Christine Vella

Oct 10th 2008, 15:08

Am I correct in concluding that John Betts is a guest here? Don't you find the rest of Europe insensitive to Malta being overcrowded. Even chickens start fighting when you put them in an overcrowded room. Saying I am callous does not solve the problem, there are two ways out of this, either send them to larger countries (probably to the one Mr Betts comes from - but I stand to be corrected on this) or else as I suggested earlier.

Etienne Bonanno

Oct 10th 2008, 14:58

@Sandro Pace

In view of the fact that one of justifications put forward by the pro-immigration camp is that western countries need immigration from the third world due to falling birth rates, I think the comments are fully justified.

To put it simply, the Maltese cannot afford to have children because of the ridiculous tax/inflation rates they are forced to put up with. At the same time the authorities permit unchecked immigration to go on, use the social security contributions of the Maltese for the immigrants' upkeep and then justifies it all by assuring us that we need the immigrants to pay social security contributions to make up for our falling birth rates!

Evarist Saliba

Oct 10th 2008, 14:49

The Emigrants Commission should be thanked for presenting these stark facts on the magnitude of the problem of illegal migration. Such information should have come from government sources. Were these facts presented in our dealings with the EU and the UNHCR (which does not seem to care about Malta's predicament)?

That being said, some comments being made seem to be misleading, at best.
Illegal migration did not start with Malta's membership of the EU.
Malta's international obligations in its SAR zone have nothing to do with our EU membership.
Spain, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus. have not been able to stem the waves of illegal migration they are facing. Why should government be exclusively blamed for that in Malta?
Italy declared a state of emergency. So what? Did it reduce or solve the problem?
Will the Pact make our plight worse or better? At the moment one can only speculate.
Will not signing the Pact reduce illegal migration by one single person? No.

Rather than flaunting anti-EU bias, blaming government gratuitously, making irresponsible proposals and uttering inflammatory language, let us all back government, which we expect to be stronger in its dealings with the EU and Libya on this issue.

Sandro Pace

Oct 10th 2008, 14:42

A couple of arguments here really amaze me.

So now, in this overcrowded rock, the birth rate should start competing with the influx.

In a country with the least living space compared to anywhere else, some people still think that this is not a problem.

And fortunately, the government has other plans for the dockyard area.

Charles Sammut

Oct 10th 2008, 14:35

Many readers seem to have missed the real point of this report. This Church backed, self-appointed Commission is not complaining about the number of illegal immigrants. It is complaining that it is not being given more "assistance" (read: funds, money, cash.)

"And although Malta’s size did not grow, the assistance the country used to get for the resettlement of refugees and others who deserved international protection stopped, the commission complained."

D. Bartolo

Oct 10th 2008, 14:31

Lets see:
burden sharing : means Malta is now a more attractive destination for Illegal imigrants : it is now worth reaching Malta : and what happens to the ones that are NOT burden shared : how much are we left with on a yearly basis after this so called burden sharing?: time we stop this invasion and not share it !!

Sharing means dividing what one has, we are now at the multiplication stage, what do we divide????

The well known charitable Maltese have now become the beggars themselves, only that there is no one listening to them.

O. GALEA

Oct 10th 2008, 14:19

OMG :-(

this is seriously scary.

Massimo Angileri

Oct 10th 2008, 14:15

Kumment personali hu li KEMM IL-KLANDESTIN DAHAL MALTA U HADD MA JAF?????????. Skond statistika tieghi paragunata ma dawk il-haddiema li jahdmu u jirregistraw, koppji li jiehdu l-beneficcju doppju, kemm jinqabdu serqiet mis-serq kollu JINDIKA LI KLANDESTINI GHAWN MALTA DARBTEJN IZJED MILL L-ISTATISTIKA

Joseph Micallef

Oct 10th 2008, 14:11

Are we all missing the issue here? This is not about too many immigrants but its about very few births from Maltese families!

Christopher Ebejer

Oct 10th 2008, 13:51

History has showed us that a civilization rises and falls along with its originating population, and once the racial composition of a society changes, then society itself changes.

The socio demographic factors are the most obvious indicators that the very nature of the white west including Malta is rapidly changing. It is becoming more violent, it is becoming poorer, and it is becoming more anti European.

This is directly linked to the decline of the European people who originally made up the western society and their replacement by newcomers foreign to our culture and civilization.
There are 4 ways through which a nation's population can vanish:

1. through obliteration in war.
2. Through their lands being swamped by labor-driven immigration.
3. Through physical mixing with newcomers,
4 A decreasing birth rate amongst the original ethnic population.

The prospects for the future of western civilization are bleak. As it is happening in Europe mainland we will be increasingly squeezed out of our towns & cities, replaced by third world immigrants and mixed-race populations. And it seems that in Brussels this is just only a fragment of interest!

malcolm seychell

Oct 10th 2008, 13:32

Joseph Muscat should get the government down on this issue.

After all the worse to be hit by this situation are the workers.

What Gonzi is doing to the country should never be forgotten

James Hamilton

Oct 10th 2008, 13:21

It's quite simple really.

Brussels must respect the fact that Malta being a small island nation can only accept so many refugees, and a quota or ceiling should be made on what is realistically acceptable.
This should then be endorsed in the recently discussed EU immigration pact.

Any refugees above our quota will be transferred to an EU holding centre, and it will be up to Brussels who will then have the responsibility of finding them a country to settle in.

For example, if our quota is 1000, and we are presently holding 5000, then by rights we should be able to transfer 4000. (With the EU footing the bill.)

Of course if Ghadaffi took a stronger stance, then we wouldn’t have this problem.

EDWIN DE MARCO

Oct 10th 2008, 13:17

I'm disappointed that nearly all comments on this article seem racist. The Emigrants ' Commission should be more worried that Malta,in its majority, is a bogus Catholic country where immigrants are concerned. Everyone knows Malta has not grown in size! But If the Drydocks privitization will not come about, the large tract of land housing the Dockyard could be transformed in high-rise flats (MEPA please be merciful & hurry up the permit!) which could house thousands of immigrants (present & future). The large influx would be a bonus to the economy. They've got to eat & buy a hundred other things once they're living independently. Also they'll get on well with Italian tourists. There are about 3.5 million of immigrants in Italy! Regarding the British, London is thronging with them. Regarding their having a number of children, although they are not of Catholic faith, they increase & multiply & do not resort to birth control tactics which are uncatholic. The Church Authorities could try & convert them to our Catholic faith. Who knows? Maybe some day they will replace the ever-diminishing numbers at Sunday Mass. Finally, as usually happens in Malta, we'll become accustomed to all this in due time.

Lara Castillo

Oct 10th 2008, 13:12

"immigrant arrivals this year, for the first time, exceeded the local birth rate" - If this problem isn't addressed NOW, the situation will only become far worse. Burden sharing may ease the situation, but is by no means a solution. Malta is in fear of losing its identity, culture, and heritage. The lack of space also means inadequate living conditions for these illegal immigrants. SOLUTIONS - 1. Wouldn’t it make more sense for the EU to have more centres in Africa where the locals can apply for asylum instead of risking a treacherous sea journey to Europe. 2. Improved policing of coastal African nations to reduce the amount of illegal human trafficking into Europe. 3. Europe and the rest of the world to help make Africa a better, safer place to live, so the locals will be proud of the homeland and will not wish to leave.

Paul Cassar

Oct 10th 2008, 12:57

Many of us have been foretelling this state of affairs since the start of this saga. We were denounced as being xenophobic and unrealictic by the very same persons and organizations that are now shedding tears!!!! Have you heard them say how wrong they were then???? If you just look at other countries who, like the mentioned persons and organizations completely misjudged the problem and its consaquences, the worse is still to come. The longer we persist in this situation the greater the problem becomes.

Joanne Micallef

Oct 10th 2008, 12:46

This article says it all. The PN Goverment will surely go down in history for selling our country to the EU. Shame on Dr Gonzi and shame on us for letting him get away with such a grave injustice towards the Maltese people.

Alf Farrugia

Oct 10th 2008, 12:35

The PM:
“As for compulsory burden-sharing, Dr Gonzi said one should be careful, lest Malta itself was required to take migrants from other countries which had seen a steep increase in migrants.”

The Emigrants Commission:

If the burden of irregular migration was to be shared equally among European Union countries on the basis of land mass, Malta would BARELY GET 100 IMMIGRANTS, the Commission said.

No more rides please!!!!!

Zeppi Micallef

Oct 10th 2008, 12:28

@Edwin Formosa

I don´t know where you got the 22 months from because it's another 4 years till the next elections. But anyway, replacing the spineless government by the opposition tomorrow will not help because the Labour Party has not taken a stand against illegal immigration either. It is we the people who have to wake up and fight for our rights because our politicians evidently aren't capable of doing it.

Now that the stark reality of the illegal immigration problem has been made so glaringly obvious with these statistics, it's about time we took to the streets to protest.

Malta has always been conquered by outsiders and it will happen again not even 50 years after our independence if we let it through inaction.

David Seychell

Oct 10th 2008, 12:27

"Stop accepting them. Give them food and fuel and send them back" -Christine Vella

I agree with you Christine. And Frontex should be used to assist them in their journey back. And Once the human traffickers get to know that it is useless to bring them to Malta they would take their illegal business elsewhere.

After all Africa is a huge continent 3 times bigger than Europe and composed of over 50 countries. Why try to pack all african migrants into tiny Malta - 7th most overcrowded country in the world - when they could just migrate to another African country? After all, not all african countries are experiencing wars etc.

martin portelli

Oct 10th 2008, 12:17

You hit the nail on the head! I am confused! The official pronouncements for quite some time minimised the problem. When, at this point, after the much touted victory re burden sharing’ we get such this 'interesting' pronouncement, the logic becomes fuzzy. My point is, as a citizen who would like to see this issue tackled in pragmatic, ethical and creative ways such a statement as the above, gives me a mixed message. Prior to this pronouncement, the government and the Emigrants commission were more or less telling us that everything is manageable and to think otherwise is at best unethical, politically incorrect, xenophobic and alarmist. With this statement, what exactly are the Maltese to think? That the problem is now unmanageable? That we will be facing problems in the future? Laissez faire doesn’t seem to be working,

I reiterate my plea for a proper national body involving civil society rather than the Emigrants commission to tackle the issue from the pragmatic, ethical, comprehensive and forward thinking perspective. I again suggest that Professor Henry Frendo be invited to give his valid input by chairing it. I will not begrudge any tax payers' euro spent on such a project.

Etienne Bonanno

Oct 10th 2008, 12:16

Frattini is probably overjoyed that his vision for Malta is coming to fruition.

Mega Detention Centre.

Chris Bonello

Oct 10th 2008, 12:10

I think it's about time the Government orders a referendum about illegal immigration. Let the people decide!!

mario mifsud

Oct 10th 2008, 12:06

Good luck Malta you really need it

John C. Betts

Oct 10th 2008, 12:00

"Give them food and fuel and send them back. Just send them back. They make it to Malta surely they can make it back. "
Knowing full well how many do not survive a crossing? That is callous.

E. Azzopardi

Oct 10th 2008, 11:56

Finally, even the Emigrants Commission is worried about the situation and that means something or should mean something to those responsible. It seems everybody is worried about the situation or almost everybody, except a handful of people. Will the disc jockeys start playing that very nice song called OPEN YOUR MIND and frequently please.

Edwin Formosa

Oct 10th 2008, 11:52

@ zepp Muscat Micallef ""iour spineless government"" will be defeated in 22 months time

Christine Vella

Oct 10th 2008, 11:47

Stop accepting them. Give them food and fuel and send them back. Just send them back. They make it to Malta surely they can make it back. Otherwise there is no end to this, there are millions out there and we simply cannot find the place and means to accept them. We are being punished because we are the first land they find available.

Joe Vella

Oct 10th 2008, 11:36

@ M Tabone

Yes re-direct them, but of course to Africa not to Europe. If we re-direct them to Europe we will be playing their game. They want simply this ............................

P Borg

Oct 10th 2008, 11:35

We have to include also with these figures those immigrants who are not intercepted and are in Malta without being accounted for, which I suspect is a good number as well!

At this rate, the Maltese population will be in a minority and will be dictated by the immigrants.

john portelli

Oct 10th 2008, 11:31

This is all the government's as well as the opposition's fault. The election took place only 6 months ago and not a word was said regarding illegals both both parties. Along with the government, it's also the people's fault for allowing their politicians to get away with Malta being turned into a tent city for illegal and at times criminal illegal immigrants. Now what do we do with all these people. Well, let the government decide. They are in charge aren't they. I suggest that they stop the whining about burden sharing (as no one is going to want these people anything when they are in great economic stress) and start repatriating these illegal immigrants who have no business being in Malta - a small speck in the mediterrean. I never have thought that the Maltese were such a naive people. But the past few years have shown that. People are under the impression that the EU will change everything; However, we should know better. WE need to take care of our own first (as we did in the 70's, 80's and 90's), then if we have anything left over, we can share. But not all of Africa.

M. Tabone

Oct 10th 2008, 11:26

These are facts that nobody can deny. When the authorities start taking care to the needs of the Maltese (i.e. their electorate)? When the Gov will say it in public that we have a national crisis and thus extraordinary measures are applied for our own safeguard?Are we asking much...for own existence? Malta cannot host more illegals. They need to be redirected...that's it.
Can somebody in a boat which can host max 100 people host 1000.......that is what Malta our country is undergoing!

A Attard

Oct 10th 2008, 11:16

Sending them to Europe is no solution. More of them will come over here to be sent by Europe. The only solution is to sent them back to Africa (no matter to which country, but to Africa).

Charles Busuttil

Oct 10th 2008, 11:15

I wholeheartedly agree that these illegal migrants should be re-united with their families. I suggest that we should ship them back and be united in their own country. Enough is enough.

joseph Mifsud

Oct 10th 2008, 11:15

Good news to hear we will be over run by immigrants, we will use the same boats they came with to go out of our country ourselves.I live near hal far i see the situation,they call there relatives to come over,they take our jobs and to make a point because of our selfishness to not pay the right wages to maltese!!!

john micallef

Oct 10th 2008, 11:11

its about time some interesting statistics start to emerge. however it seems that some people didn't take the warnings seriously. add to this that maybe migrants will reproduce (and have more kids than our average families) and there we are in 18 years time.

Sandro Zahra

Oct 10th 2008, 11:11

@ Cleaven Vella

I totally agree with your statement

Joe Galea

Oct 10th 2008, 11:04

Gonzi managed to attain the surplus he promised us before the elections...yes..a surplus of immigrants. We will definitely end up outnumbered by them and they will rule us. Maybe it's our faith to be ruled!!:( I hope I won't be here when this happens.

Gonzi..tock tock it's time to wake up.

C. Azzopardi

Oct 10th 2008, 11:02

So what is the government going to do about it?? Ignore this escalating problem as usual?

Ian Bugeja

Oct 10th 2008, 10:59

I don't think that burden sharing will solve the problem. It might for the time being, but what will happen when all countries reach their quota?. Millions of people live in Africa and most of them want a better life, which they think they will have inside the EU.

The EU should increase pressure on the northern African countries like Libya so that such people are sent back.

Zeppi Micallef

Oct 10th 2008, 10:56

450 years ago we stood up to the mighty Turks and drove them back from our shores, preventing them from invading the rest of Europe. Now our spineless government gladly accepts illegal immigrants arriving on their Trojan Horse boats while Europe laughs at us.

This has to STOP before we Maltese are driven out of our beloved country and become immigrants ourselves.

Louis Buhagiar

Oct 10th 2008, 10:53

It is about time that the government show some guts. We cannot take any more immigrants. Malta voted to join the EU. It accepted to pay taxes etc to the EU, but what is the EU doing to help Malta in the case of immigrants. Frontex was a big joke.

Stephen Saliba

Oct 10th 2008, 10:53

Is this the first wake up call? One can only hopel!

Charles Micallef

Oct 10th 2008, 10:52

Does anyone now, doubt how serious this problem is?
and how important it is for immediate action to be taken
if we want our Children and their Chidren to keep a Maltese Identity !

David Carabott

Oct 10th 2008, 10:51

Yesterday in an interview on TV, a top Government minister said words to the effect that regarding the new EU Pact on immigration, we cannot expect to force other counties to implement burden sharing. Fine. But then why on earth is the Maltese Government going to sign the Pact? The added obligations emanating from the Pact, will be mandatory but not the "benefit" of burden-sharing. Which means that we must do our bit (& more, disproportionately to our limited resources), but they have the luxury to choose whether or not to practice burden sharing! Is this fair? Do NOT sign the Pact or at least sign it with an opt-out clause for Malta. THIS HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH RACISM. I respect the immigrants, their culture, religion and ways of life but at the same time our minuscule country cannot cope up with the grossly disproportionate influx & our Government appears to be soft with our European counterparts.

Claire Vella

Oct 10th 2008, 10:44

The Maltese population has had enough of this situation. What is the government waiting for? Dr Gonzi, this is something which is worrying your electorate. Why don't you do something about it?

V.Micallef

Oct 10th 2008, 10:41

Of course. And we only have to thank Government for it.

jeremy conti

Oct 10th 2008, 10:40

goodmorning dear Commission !! goodmorning also to Lawrence Gonzi & Joseph Muscat ......are u realising that this sounds much more serious than we think ?? so please instead of going on Xarabank next week and being a farce , do us a big favour and go to Brussels together and mean some business on this agenda !!

H dempster

Oct 10th 2008, 10:39

In a couple of years time the illegal immigrants would out number the locals and who knows maybe also form a party called THE ILLIGAL IMMIGRANT PARTY and may also get into power as well. HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT.

Martin Portelli

Oct 10th 2008, 10:38

What is the point of this statement exactly , should we be worried or what ?

L Mallia

Oct 10th 2008, 10:35

Great, won't be long before we're dominated by Africans again, history repeats itself right? Good job with the statistics too; now how about we do something about it?

Andre` Micallef

Oct 10th 2008, 10:32

Now that's a golly good piece of news (sic) ..... it was pretty obvious that this was about to happen, and it happened sooner than we though. The Emigrants Commission should be ashamed of itself in issuing such a barefaced statement, when it should carry most of the blame for making arrangements to join immigrants' families together in our already sardine-packed island.

A. CAruana

Oct 10th 2008, 10:32

Hheheheheh And the EU said the population of Malta is going to decrease......

David Seychell

Oct 10th 2008, 10:30

"for the first time, exceeded the local birth rate, something which had not taken place anywhere else in the world"

This reinforces what I have been saying lately i.e. that Malta is one of most burdened country in the whole world (if not the MOST one). When you calculate this burden, you don't just take into account the number of these people but the number of these people per square km or per pop.

"If the burden of irregular migration was to be shared equally among European Union countries on the basis of land mass, Malta would barely get 100 immigrants, the Commission said."

And then there was some who said that with compulsory burden sharing we would take irregular migrants from others!!! Did you read that Mr Antoine Vella (Balzan)?

Cleaven Vella

Oct 10th 2008, 10:27

I think that support to these poor people must still be given, however, we could not let all immigrants be kept in Malta. I think a quota should be set up and the rest should be sent to other European Countries.

If nothing is done and all immigrants are kept in Malta, we Maltese people will loose our Identity and all our land. Hope the burden sharing will work.

joe pace

Oct 10th 2008, 10:18

May I point out to the Commission that the numbers in the square mile of Hal Far and Marsa are much much much,,,,,, more than 40 to the square mile whereas in other areas of the Island there are much much less than the 40 per square mile. Is this shareing the burden!!

Marcel Dingli

Oct 10th 2008, 10:11

Isnt the emigrants commission being racist and xenophobic now ????? !!!!!

Charles Sammut

Oct 10th 2008, 10:11

Suddenly it is not "racist" any longer to even mention that we have a serious problem precipitating a grave and dangerous situation.

Or have we now noticed that the people will not be hoodwinked any more? Will anybody from the Immigrants Commission be present at the demonstration planned for Thursday evening in Valletta to oppose the un-democratic signing of the EU Immigration Pact by Dr Gonzi without having consulted the people? A pact which will exacerbate the problem when thousand more Africans will be coming to Malta to "be reuinited with their families"?

J Sultana

Oct 10th 2008, 10:11

Niice, does this mean that we will now join the African Union?

Sinclair Calleja

Oct 10th 2008, 10:07

Does the local birth rate figure include the number of births by the immigrants themselves?

B Borg

Oct 10th 2008, 10:04

Hardly surprising. And what is the government doing about it? Why hasn´t a state of emergency been declared? Italy declared a state of emergency over a couple of hundred arrivals last summer. What are we waiting for to suspend international treaties about the matter and repatriate these illegals? Do these figures include the many hundreds coming here on tourist visas and overstaying, working illegally on the streets and elsewhere?

Does our government think that this situation is sustainable? Or is the government going after the immigrant vote now that it´s official that we have more illegals than births in the country?

I. M. Dingli

Oct 10th 2008, 09:57

I ara, we have started to do our homework!?!