EU adopts Immigration Pact unanimously

Joseph W. Galea

Oct 17th 2008, 01:41

@ Dennis Catania



It would seem that an abundance of your hope will be required, because to stick to the actual pact will put Malta at a disadvantage, unless of course, we are as usual blinded by some EU sum of money to accept the status quo. We love money more than getting rid of illegals.

Nigel Lawrence

Oct 16th 2008, 21:46

So tell me, does this pact now make illegal immigrants legal? If this is so, then no more illegals will appear on our shores, only legitimate immigrants. We should make them welcome. What a pile of B.S.

F.Bonnici

Oct 16th 2008, 21:37

We have always been, are and will be Europe's laughing stock. Another sad day for Malta in the EU.
Gonzi has become an embarrassment

J Martinelli

Oct 16th 2008, 21:12

In about six months time, Joseph, in hindsight, will admit that signing the Immigrant burden sharing Pact was a good thing.

In hindsight he was wrong being anti-EU, anti Euro etc. He even admitted that himself, come to think of it.

Vincent Mercieca

Oct 16th 2008, 20:33

I am willing to accept bets ( I need to apply for the betting license first) that none of the countries would volunteer to take a pro rate number.
Our government politicians are naïve.

R.Gauci

Oct 16th 2008, 19:34

I realy hope that this pact works and will be the first step to reduce the number of illegal immigrants coming and living in Malta, if not I hope that it will be the last one to continue accepting them in our country especially in the current financial situation!!

godfrey ellul

Oct 16th 2008, 19:12

I might sound a bit cruel here, but if I were the PM I would summon an urgent meeting with those other member states with a coastline facing Africa, and propose a motion to build up a small fleet made up of Maltese(all we have if necessary), Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Greek, Cypriot, and Portuguese ships and agree to start a blockade in the respective territorial waters as early as April next. Let the other member states shout shame, we are the countries being overrun by these people. If the other EU states object, they'll have to strike a quick deal with the blockading countries to take the immigrants themselves. No deal, the blockade stands ....That's par idejn sodi!!!!

A.Gauci Cunningham

Oct 16th 2008, 19:12

Like many I am worried about the immigration phenomenon so much so that I felt the need to write a letter to The Times ( last month) about it in which I lambasted the Political parties for staying silent on the whole issue!!
Nonetheless the fact that immigration has forcefully come to the fore of this country's agenda does not mean that we can all switch to emotional and weep on each others shoulders and say whatever claptrap comes to our mouths!! This Pact in itself is a step in the right direction as it is for the very first time including the BS mechanism and pledging to help countries like Malta through this EU financed programme. Malta had to fight tooth and nail to get a "voluntary" BS and make no mistake there was no chance in the depths of Hell that the EU countries would have bent and changed the rules to change "voluntary" to "compulsory"!!!!! So compulsory was impossible politically and legally!!

@Catania---I agree with you...the signing is just the very first step...........only the fruition of the Pact would make this agreement a big diplomatic step ahead!!! So lets make it happen and lets do it together!!!!!!!

CARMEL SERRACINO-INGLOTT

Oct 16th 2008, 18:42

Judging from the negative attidute of the MLP towards many issues and to which the MLP got it 100% wrong I am inclined to think that the pact will be a success as I hope it will be. The MLP negative suggesstions are an indication of what the result will be.
Although I wish that with the MLP is now becoming a party that works for Malta unfortunately it looks that it is still thinking in a negative way or it never supports the government because it is an opposition party therefore it has to oppopse and it is becoming an expert in this .

Mario Cilia

Oct 16th 2008, 17:48

Blajniha sa grizmejna! Who's taking bets on how many illegal immigrants will be taken on by the other EU countries next year?

Denis Catania

Oct 16th 2008, 17:01

Now that the pact is signed, we must join together and push the government to make sure that during the winter months the EU countries will take a LARGE number of these illegals. Now for the Nation's sake let's pray and hope this works out for the Maltese and the illegals.

Joe Borg

Oct 16th 2008, 17:00

@Joseph E Briffa
and there are others who get overcharged and applaud the shopkeeper........

M. Mercieca

Oct 16th 2008, 16:59

Well done Dr. Gonzi
A step in the right direction for Malta, the EU, and most importantly to the HUMAN IMMIGRANTS themselves.
Any civilized nation with responsible government should act this way.

Lawrence Martinelli

Oct 16th 2008, 16:56

Someone somewhere seems to be twisting words =
The Pact was unanimously agreed by all.
It's implementations will be mentioned of the at the conclusion of the meeting.
No one seems to say if it wll be inforced or still voluntary.
Does the nutshell contain karawett or what else ?

Joe Borg

Oct 16th 2008, 16:55

@Pierre Agius
Convince 26 member states on doing what? To voluntary accept immigrants? is that an achievement for you?

i can also easily accept to voluntarily accept to host and feed immigrants at my house.. will i do it.. NO!

where is the achievement?

Joseph E Briffa

Oct 16th 2008, 16:48

Ok then, for some people it's better to moan and groan, just lie back and don't do anything. Unfortunately this represents the majority of the Maltese..even if they are overcharged in a shop, they just come out and complain to passersby rather than to the shopkeeper! That's why it's not easy to move forward in Malta, because most people lack the will to take action. This Pact is a great leap forward for Malta. At least we stand a chance of getting some help; without this Pact we would have to face this big problem on our own. So is it not obvious that we should fare better now? Time will prove the government right.

H Dempster

Oct 16th 2008, 16:10

@Pierre Agius.
it must have been very easy to demand that Small Malta should accept the pact and not vice versa.

Anthony Borg

Oct 16th 2008, 16:02

With the Eu contries facing financial meldown and recession, the poor countries are already worried about the flow of aid. I cannot see EU contries taking immigrants at present as they aleardy have enough problems of their own thank you, plus it will be politically suicide for these countries to sell it to their people.
I honestly believe that Piere Aguis is living on cloud nine and it is he who has no vision of the future. As he said "the future will judge us"

Pierre Agius

Oct 16th 2008, 15:31

Truly well done to all involved and to Maltese diplomacy. Must have been very difficult for a small country to convince the other 26 EU Sates. I do not expect everyone to understand, however. Regrettably this was the case with Malta through history, when destiny called for Independence, EU accession and the Euro. But this is after all the difference between leaders and followers ... between those who have a vision and those who have a closed mind ... between those who fight to make it better and those who think that can do better. As always the future will judge us ... as it already did. Once again thank you, well done and keep up the good job. Viva Malta.

l Galea

Oct 16th 2008, 14:54

A day of shame for all decent Maltese persons

STEPHEN FARRUGIA

Oct 16th 2008, 14:36

He signed Malta's death pact, prosit tassaw !