Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
EU grants Malta €3.7 million to help integrate immigrants
Malta will receive €3.7 million from the EU over the next five years to help in the integration of refugees and immigrants.
The decision was made by the European Commission yesterday as part of its spending under the European fund for integration of third country nationals.
The funds will go towards initiatives that introduce migrants to Maltese society and culture, for research and for training on intercultural competence.
In its submissions to the Commission, Malta had emphasised that it will be putting into practice the common basic principles of integration policy in the EU and the development of indicators and evaluation methodologies to assess progress and adjust policies.
Malta also wants to exchange experience of good practice and information on integration between member states.
The European fund for the integration of third country nationals is one of four financial instruments in the EU's general programme of Solidarity and Management of Migratory Flows. Malta has already managed to get substantial funding under two other programmes. Last December, it was granted a record €122 million to strengthen its border and another €10 million under the refugee and return funds.
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lgalea
Jan 24th 2009, 08:32
Anthony Formosa
NO amount of money will make us change our minds.
We no longer care a hoot about the illegal immigrants.
We want them OUT OF MALTA.
Integration? OVER MY DEAD BODY.
EU PETTY DICTATORS, BRIBERY IS A CRIME.
Denis Catania
That's exactly what the eu is.
An OPPRESSIVE COLONIALIST DICTATORIAL system whose PETTY DICTATORS order supposedly sovereign states around and threaten them with penalties if they do not obey.
Re the president in waiting, NO way George.
We want the OUT of Malta and kept in detention until they are REPATRIATED.
Mario Sammut
Jan 24th 2009, 08:24
How very convenient!!!!!!! The EU give the government a few scraps so that our country allows these human pests on our roads. As usual we have no say in the matter. Oh and may i suggest something to the real Maltese people! Stop voting for the clowns who are supposed to run our lives. We are made to live with people who have never been governed , so why not join them.
Raymond Sammut
Jan 23rd 2009, 19:56
@ Dr George Abela (the newly anointed President to be)
You have stated that detention for illegal immigrants should be reduced to one year. Why did you make this statement?
Do not forget that as a christian, you are equal to everyone, including the illegal immigrants in the open centres. You are true to your cause in what you have stated. You have honesty and resolve. Reduce detention to zero time. Do not move into the presidential palace once Dr Fenech Adami vacates for you. Do not be like Dr Fenech Adami. Distinguish yourself as a new president and a true christian who wants to reduce detention from 18 to 12 months.
Give an example to your christian presidents in Europe, and convert the presidential palace to an Open Centre. This is your opportunity to become the champion of a new era, the christian era where even presidents give everything they have to follow the illegals and uphold christian values.
Look at this picture Dr George Abela. Be a true christian and be inspired by what you see.
You feel so much for the illegals but you feel nothing for me.
EGauci
Jan 23rd 2009, 18:26
EU - please keep the money and the imigrants. thank you
louise vella
Jan 23rd 2009, 17:06
Either Gonzi is showing a deplorable lack of leadership in the matter OR he agrees at heart with the "humanitarian NGOs".
Does he have the guts to hold a public consultation process on illegal immigration?
How about the PL? Why does it not lambast the obvious failure of Gonzi to tackle the issue stricly in the interests of Malta?
Illegal immigration is undermining Malta's very identity. The crisis cannot be solved by the EU throwing some sop at us from time to time as if we were a hungry dog that needs to be silenced.
But then Gonzi has to put Malta's interests first.
Denis Catania
Jan 23rd 2009, 16:52
This is oppression not integration. The funds should be used to help Maltese unemployed suffering due to the high influx of illegal immigrants and use the rest to send the illegals to the EU countries they want to be in. That's true integration.
Mario Tabone-Vassallo
Jan 23rd 2009, 16:33
Xebghu jidhqu bina. Kieku dil-krizi kienet f'pajjiz mill-kbar kienu jitkellmu mod iehor. Dhalna fil-UE fuq il-principju li l-istati kollha ndaqs fl-istima u drittijiet, ghad li differenti fid-daqs fiziku u karatteristici ohra. Il-mexxejja taghna ghandhom jimxu fuq dawn il-principji, izommu iebes u ma jcedux, minghajr il-glied zejjed tas-sebghinijiet. Ma jistghu isiru twapet ta' l-ohrajn.
Michelle Dali
Jan 23rd 2009, 16:20
@ Joseph Sciberras
What is scary is that there are still people who fail to see that the uncontrolled, endless invasion of illegal aliens into a very small country, which is already seriously overpopulated, is a problem! That is what I find scary.
It doesn't take a genius to work out that letting thousands of illegal immigrants into a country without having a future to offer them, or anywhere to accomodate them, for that matter, is a recipe for disaster. If people don't speak up in defence of their own country, who will, I ask you?
Saviour A Ellul-Bonici
Jan 23rd 2009, 16:10
Thanks but no thanks. The vast majority of the Maltese people have expressed themselves very clearly. We don't want handouts we want them out. This is exactly what they mean by burden sharing : Meagre handout.
Louis Gialanze
Jan 23rd 2009, 15:58
Integration means US locals accepting THEM illegal immigrants. That's one thing the EU cannot impose on me. Over my dead body! Malta owes nothing to these people. We never colonized anybody so why should we integrate THEM in our small world .Africa is big enough for everyone. Why Malta of all countries? What is an alarming figure when expressed as a percentage of the local population? Ten per cent?
These people can never integrate in our society and the politicians( who betrayed their country) knew in advance what was about to happen after accesion to the EU. Let's hear the people's say now.
louise vella
Jan 23rd 2009, 15:38
The rubric under the picture says "has often come under fire by humanitarian NGOs".
Can we have names, please?
How many people are represented by these "humanitarian NGOs"?
How are their committees and leaders elected (if they believe in elections)?
And above all, how are they financed?
Can the EU and the government assure us that NOT ONE EURO of these €3.7 million will go into the coffers of these "humanitarian NGOs"?
And who listens to these "humanirtarian NGOs" anyway?
Would not the money be better spent beefing up Frontex and turning it into a proper coastguard to deter and repel smugglers in human beings?
R. Bartolo
Jan 23rd 2009, 15:07
@ Joseph Sciberras
"At least now you can stop complaining that the immigrants are spending your tax money!
The attitudes and opinions expressed here are scary."
Cause that money came from where?
(Hint: Our taxes)
Isobel Mconigle
Jan 23rd 2009, 14:56
@Joseph Sciberras
Where do you think the money from the E.U comes from? out of thin air?
No from you, me, our taxes
Daniel Caruana
Jan 23rd 2009, 14:23
I wonder if I would qualify for the same benefits if I came to Malta illegally?
D. Borg
Jan 23rd 2009, 14:14
What makes the EU think that the Maltese want their integration? We only want their Repatriation and nothing else. No bribe will make us change our minds.
Antoine Cilia
Jan 23rd 2009, 14:13
Dear EU and EC,
Malta is not a prostitute.
@ John Zarb
"Why not integrate them? Give them an EU passport and let them go to whichever EU country they please. I'm all for that!"
Same here.
@ Raymond Sammut:
"This provided that the new President does not decide to give up the Presidential Palace and turn it into an Open Centre out of compassion and christian values."
Iwa... Ghada fil-ghodu!
A Vella
Jan 23rd 2009, 14:02
what a waste of money. This money will be better spent in repatriation programmes and control of our borders instead of on people who came here illegally.
Joseph Sciberras
Jan 23rd 2009, 13:51
At least now you can stop complaining that the immigrants are spending your tax money!
The attitudes and opinions expressed here are scary.
Michelle Dali
Jan 23rd 2009, 13:15
The European Commission is very quick to take decisions regarding funding when it comes to illegal immigration, as long as the funds are spent in ways that keep the illegal immigrants in Malta.
Unfortunately, it tends to dither endlessly when it comes to helping to ease the burden which this already overpopulated country is facing. No amount of money can alleviate the problem of lack of space and overcrowding. Funding for integrating illegal immigrants will only encourage more to come, resulting in Malta becoming an even more overpopulated country!
If there were true solidarity in the EU, his very fact should make it reasonable for arrangements to be made to transfer any further arrivals IMMEDIATELY to other EU countries to have their claims for asylum processed there.
Mike Magri
Jan 23rd 2009, 13:15
E.U. = OVER THE NEXT.. F I V E Y E A R S.. 3.7 million euro to help illegal immigrants integrate into our Maltese society, customs,habbits, etc....
THIS MUST BE THE JOKE OF 2009, to say the least....!!!!!!
INTEGRATE WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....................................!!!!!!!!!!!???????!!!!!!!!!!??????
Oh Boy... It must be the end of the universe is getting closer and closer every day for the Maltese Nation....
Cheers Guys....
Anthony Formosa
Jan 23rd 2009, 12:30
This is a welcoming step forward by the EU, 3.7 million euros is quite a lot of money for an integration campaign when most of them are already integrated. Malta will be benefiting more funds for the refugees than anything else, and this is good for our economy.
@ Louis Sinagra, yes there will be also funds for REPATRIATION just be patient.
Joseph Calleja
Jan 23rd 2009, 12:30
Why are the PN and PL mum over illegal migration? Why is the EU so intense on integrating the Maltese people with other nationalities? IF the Maltese want to integrate I don't think they need to be bribed into doing so. I suggest the EU spend the money to figure out a way to stop this problem. They do a good job in stopping them from going to the other 24 EU States, how come they cannot stop these boatloads of people from reaching Malta and Lempedusa? Why isn't the EU trying to uncover the force behind putting these illegal emigrants out in the open waters? This is a well organised human traffic organization and until the EU finds out who it is, this problem is going to get worse.
Tony Pace
Jan 23rd 2009, 12:29
Who wants integration? Neither they nor us Maltese except for a few.
We have managed to keep our identity in spite of the presence of foreign occupying powers in our history. We did not even vote to integrate with Britain.
The EU is welcome to keep the allocated funds or divert them to some country that wants to go ahead with such integration.
P Debono
Jan 23rd 2009, 12:14
Will the EU Parliament ever get off its high horse and understand that it is IMPOSSIBLE to integrate these people into a tiny, densely populated country with NO resources and unstable economic conditions?!?!?!
Why do they keep giving these illegals money?! Whenever I see them on the streets they're always talking on their fancy mobiles, whereas I can't even afford to buy a 20 euro top-up card every month!!!
Marvin Mizzi
Jan 23rd 2009, 12:14
We do not want money for integration we do not want to integrate them we want them repatriated.
Raymond Sammut
Jan 23rd 2009, 12:12
What this will amount to is the opening of more Open Centres.
More and more funds will be made available to buy more patrols (border strengthening), the repatriation home re-settlement scheme (which produces the occasional half-a-dozen flying out), and integration money (anchoring).
At the same time, the new incoming President has already stated that detention should reduce to one year, which would mean that less and less money will be spent on detention facilities, and more on Open Centres. This provided that the new President does not decide to give up the Presidential Palace and turn it into an Open Centre out of compassion and christian values.
With all this money, and benevolence, available for Open Centres, questions that will have to be addressed are many.
Where will future Open Centres be located? How large and how sophisticated will they become as time moves on? What new legislation will be needed to assist in the proper management of Open Centres in Malta? How well will the Maltese people on Malta shift from the tourism industry and adapt to the illegal immigration industry? How well will Malta succeed in exporting this newly found industry?
Phil Humphries
Jan 23rd 2009, 12:07
Shame on the EU ! This is nothing more than Hush Money for Malta to turn a blind eye to this illegal trade. I hope the Government spends it wisely, on seaworthy boats, food, fuel, maps and compasses. Better still, it could send the money back to Brussels, along with the immigrants they want integrating into European society !
Marcel Portelli
Jan 23rd 2009, 11:49
We need a National Socialist Movement to find the solution to this very seroius problem and many others that we have in Malta.
lgalea
Jan 23rd 2009, 11:36
eu petty dictators, we do NOT want integration.
We want REPATRIATION.
You know where to shove your money and if you don't I will tell you personally in a not so nice manner.
This is another negative aspect of eu membership.
An ILLEGAL immigrants INVASION.
Lawrence Martinelli
Jan 23rd 2009, 11:29
It's a known fact that the Bruxelles MEPs are ( mainly ) discarded politicians in their
own countries.....either too thick or thin upstairs.
But one has not got to be Einstein to see & understand that the " Dwarf Elephant " just
has NOT got the space.
People were NOT paid the air fair to leave Malta , after the war , to visit Buckingham Palace ,
Niagara Falls or Sidney Bridge ....Got it Bruxelles thick heads ? !!!!!
John Zarb
Jan 23rd 2009, 11:23
Why not integrate them? Give them an EU passport and let them go to whichever EU country they please. I'm all for that!
H.DEMPSTER
Jan 23rd 2009, 11:09
We are not interested in the money offered by the EU , we just dont want them here.
Louis Sinagra
Jan 23rd 2009, 11:00
Integration solves nothing . REPATRIATION NOT INTERGRATION that is what the majority of the Maltese want .
d. borg
Jan 23rd 2009, 10:54
When will EU understand that the majority of the Maltese do not want their integration. It's useless trying to convince us, we do not want them. Malta is already overpopulated, there are not enough jobs, we only want their repatriation and to prevent others from coming.
R. Bartolo
Jan 23rd 2009, 10:47
So if we offer the immigrants money to leave Malta, the EU finds that racist.
But if they offer us money to keep them here, away from their countries, that is not racist?