Pregnant migrant evacuated from ship in delicate operation

@ Charles Sammut. You are 100% right.

Aren't these people capable of solving there own problems? Why make there problems ours? We're being invaded with these people which will have many consequences in the future. As we accept them, they will continue to come, calling there families and relatives over. After all we do work for them right?! Its from our taxes which they live on, then they repay us by complaining, boycotting, and protesting and breaking!!

If these are given help, and sent back after some days, there will be no point for them coming back to Malta! and other countries should do the same! Return to sender....

It is funny and indeed sad to see people who are comfortable sitting down at some desk or at home on their sofa pontificating about what we 'need' to do to this woman in a very simplistic and shallow manner. Comments such as:"What can I do to change my status to Illegal Immigrant? Perhaps such move will permit me not to wake up for work early in such bad weather to provide all this to my family." show how some people are comfortable in their own little cocoon and cannot even imagine that it must take a lot of thought to leave your country....anyway it is useless discussing with some people. I wonder how many call themselves 'christian' or even 'christian democrats' or 'socialist'! they must look up the definitions in their dictionaries...

@ John C. Betts

If we continue to allow these African migrants to come to Europe we will be doing Africa a disservice. This continent has now become completely and hopelessly addicted to living off aid and hand-outs. What people like you see as compassion and charity is in fact destroying what should be the most prosperous and powerful continent on Earth.

As long as these people can run away from their problems, they will never get around to solving them. They have become like spoilt brats who demand, demand and demand some more.

Here you have a prime example of their total irresponsibility. This pregnant woman put the life of so many people in grave danger because she knew what our weakness is. People who reason like you, Mr Betts, are perpetrating the myth that Europe can somehow help Africa rise from its misery. It is Africa itself who has to make the effort.

Our percieved help is nothing more than a disincentive for these people to help themselves. In the process we are destroying two continents and their people.

jamie pace
That's because we have an incompetent lackey government who does not repatriate illegal immigrats but allows them to remain here against the wishes of the majority of the Maltese population.

No one should assume that all illegal immigrants arrive here penniless. They don't save just enough money to pay human traffickers. Besides, given the business acumen of human traffickers, there could be volume discounts being offered (the numbers per boatload have been increased substantially). I doubt if any are searched upon arrival, so it may be that money and documents are seccreted somewhere on their person, or held for safekeeping by someone who is already here. Hospital treatment, and/or stays should be billed to the individual or the UNHCR!

well done AFM....for another courageous dedicated mission by your men...hope the weather wld be better today,as you tend to carry on with the evacuation,to reduce the risk involve in carrying out your duties...my advice to everyone is for us to brace up this year...this situation is beyond our government control....and is getting really worst...in the past we hardly had arrivals in winter,but this year in January alone 162 have arrived...so we can imagine what the rest of the winter/summer wld be like....

Mr. R Gauci: "What can I do to change my status to Illegal Immigrant?"
You just have to be ready to abandon your home; to spend most or all of the savings you have on a journey in which you will risk your life (knowing that many have died doing what you are doing); and to spend 18 months in cramped and uncomfortable conditions in detention - all for the sake of living in better conditions. That is all. MUCH better than waking up early in the morning to go to work in bad weather.

This woman should be charged with negligence towards her unborn child. Indeed all ILLEGALS crossing with small children should be charged with negligence as they know perfectly well the danger involved and a small child has no say in the matter - cannot say no! If any other mother is cought mistreating her child than the social services gets involved and the child be taken into protective custody yet with ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS it seems that anything goes!!!!

So this is what happens when we have to wait over four hours in the emergency queue...

Pregnant and walked on a boat in such bad weather conditions, irresponsable indeed. Her move then put Italian/AFM family members in grave danger and to complete all we have to foot the bill, then we'll be more than happy to feed them, shelter them and raise the child. Viva Malta u l-Maltin.

What can I do to change my status to Illegal Immigrant? Perhaps such move will permit me not to wake up for work early in such bad weather to provide all this to my family.

they should deport the pregnant and her baby back to libya after she give birth to him/her and the rest should be deported immediately

Well done to the AB 212 crew for yet another extrodinary succesful mission. Well done boys :)