Video: MSF slams 'appalling and inhuman' conditions at detention centres

deb bugeja

Mar 15th 2009, 11:10

Mr Medola

if they in such a disaster state why did you turn your back on them??????

or is it just an excuse to back off

Denis Catania

Mar 14th 2009, 08:55

Malta is not doing good for the illegals by taking more in.

@ Andrew Cassar: Maybe now you can call the MSF racists and xenophobic. They are leaving a detention center full of Africans and scared of the situation. You need to open your eyes on what Malta can do for the illegals. What Malta should be doing is helping them move to mainland Europe with pressure on the EU and not kissing up to the EU. Expose the problem to the world.

Michelle Dali

Mar 13th 2009, 20:27

@ Paul Barratt. I agree with your comments 100%

Doris Farrugia

Mar 13th 2009, 19:59

my husband can't walk without being in pain cause he got trouble in his knee.After a very long wait the doctor could not give him any treatment cause first he has to be checked through an MRI.This was last January and the appointment for the MRI is going to be in mid September.How's that for waiting MSF and we are locals and we pay good taxes.How do MSF pretend to ask for medicines and tests and pretend to have them immediatly.Maybe they haven't been here enough time to realise that Malta is a very small nation and densely populated and everybody has to wait for his turn being an illegal immigrant and being Maltese.

louise vella

Mar 13th 2009, 19:31

Medecins sans Frontiers are in politics not in medicine. If anybody had any doubt, he/she should note the excellent political timing of their press conference. A few hours before arrival of Jaques Barrot, intended to cause maximum damage to Malta. Who is the brain behind them? It is hard to believe that foreigners could have such perfect political timing in Malta.

L.Gauci

Mar 13th 2009, 19:20

If MSF was so concerned about the plight of the illegal immigrants, they were duty-bound to remain here and improve the conditions that they deplored. Since they were here for six months, they should have realised that Malta is too small to accomodate the huge influx of people that it has been inundated with. Instead of criticising, the least they should have done, is to publicise in the right fora the problem that this tiny island is facing. Besides, have they not noticed that very often, it is the immigrants themselves who break, burn and dirty the facilities they have been provided with?

AnnMarie Pawley

Mar 13th 2009, 17:59

If things were so much better in their native countries, what are the immigrants' doing in ours? If they had proper clothing, hot water and proper medical care, why are they scrounging off the Maltese population?

What about the immigrants with infectious diseases? How many of them have made a run for it, or are left to wander the streets at will? And how come MSF didn't mention all the times that the immigrants protested and smashed up the place? Or do they think that just by highlighting - and probably even exaggerating - the appalling conditions they will win the Maltese people's sympathy and concern?

Hopefully someone will realise soon that it's the Maltese people who are in danger and not the immigrants.

S. Calleja

Mar 13th 2009, 17:48

@ Andrew Cassar Thank you Andrew. What a breath of fresh air knowing that there are people who can actually see farther than their noses.

Joseph Calleja

Mar 13th 2009, 17:41

That's what happens when you send a boy/girl to do a man's/woman's job. The MSF came here to help these poor people but it seems they cannot handle the job, so they blame the Maltese. Are Giuseppe de Mola and Gabriella Ferlazzo Natoli aware that most Maltese citizens have the same waiting period for medicines, and same waiting period for medical care. And yes Mr De Mola what infectious diseases, what isolation are you talking about? A lot of Maltese were born to large families living in one house with only 2 bedrooms, only one bathroom and yes sometimes no hot water and very little to eat. We did the best we could, but never quit. The Maltese people did not create this problem.

Paul Barrett

Mar 13th 2009, 17:12

I have only just seen the video that comes with this article. Medecins Sans Frontieres are living in cloud cuckoo land, especially in regard to their call for placing the illegals in open centre. Even the current 18 months maximum is wrong and open centres are wrong (in my opinion), it should be indefinite retention in closed centre (unless they are proven refugees), until they declare their country of origin and arrangements for their return are made. What is the point of having passports and customs control on the front door and then leaving the back door open to everyone to just sail in and swamp you. If they get the message that their is no freedom or future for them in Malta (and the EU) and they are therefore better off where they come from, perhaps they won't be so keen to come. This is not being racist, just practical and realistic.

J. Bonnici

Mar 13th 2009, 16:53

The MSF are really good Samaritans! Because the Maltese Govt. cannot, in our limited situation, accomodate the illegal immigrants to the equivalent of a five star hotel and foot the bill from the tax payers money, they left these illegal immigrants to fend for themselves. Since they have these illegal immigrants so much at heart they should have remained here to help them as much as they can and meanwhile insist with their governments in Europe to help out by taking to their country a good number of them to be repatriated there, as after all they have promised. And please not just 80, as this is insignificent compared to the thousands that have invaded our island. We are doing more then enough for them in our limited conditions. The larger and more wealthy European countries are only paying lip service and no action. That is the way these kind doctors can help out not by abandoning the illegals to their faith. We are doing our best , but charity begins at home.

P Debono

Mar 13th 2009, 16:45

This is just a smokescreen because in no part of that interview did Mr. More mention what kinds of diseases the illegals bring about with them.

Also, the Maltese population would be very grateful if Mr. Mole's country would put its money where its mouth is and take a few thousand of illegals for keeps.

Alfred Farrugia

Mar 13th 2009, 16:29

If Giuseppe de Mola and Gabriella Ferlazzo Natoli prefer to work in a 5 star hotel and resort, they should resign from MSF and join an international consortium of qualified doctors.

Have they ever worked in a war-torn country? Has their own Italian government declined their services in Lampedusa and other places? This is a PR disaster for MSF not for Malta. Perhaps the time has come for MSF to check who it is recruiting.

If UNHCR and the EU are not in a position to assist Malta with this problem, NGO’s like MSF have nothing to contribute. Have de Mola and Natoli read Section 4. (v) of the January 2001 UNHCR Geneva assessment that the Dublin Convention is “wholly inappropriate” for cases like Malta?

“In addition, this criterion places at a disadvantage countries bordering areas affected by refugee flows, and thus goes against the principles of responsibility sharing and solidarity which are at the basis of the Union’s endeavours in the field of asylum.”

http://www.unhcr.org/protect/PROTECTION/43662b3e2.pdf

We should all write to MSF and let it know that we do not need the services of Italian doctors like de Mola and Natoli.

Eric Soames

Mar 13th 2009, 16:22

Seeing as it's being picked up by more posters I thought I'd point out that the saying 'when the going gets tough, the tough get going' is being misapplied. The second half of this saying refers to getting motivated to overcome the adverse situation. Coaches like using it in their mid-game pep talks.

S. Calleja

Mar 13th 2009, 16:01

@ Louis Gialanze

It also seems that the absolute majority of Maltese people are intollerant and racists. Does that make it right? Catholics just in name, I'm afraid. Not to mention paranoia and mass hysteria.

Chris Finch

Mar 13th 2009, 15:42

As usual, when someone dares to criticise the way things are done in Malta or the Maltese, instead of listening and addressing the problems, everyone just says 'how dare these foreigners criticise us. This is how things are done in Malta! if you don't like it then get out!' Little wonder then that things will never change. We will keep our appalling roads, rampant construction, high taxes, litter, dog filth and lack of birds.
MSF are a charitable organisation. It seems that they are unable to do the work that they want. If you read the release, MSF alerted the government to its shortcomings in October and nothing has changed including a lack of an isolation area for infectious people.

John Borg (mlh)

Mar 13th 2009, 15:38

Will some kind soul post an Arabic translation of MSF's report onto the www so that the prospective future economic migrants know about this? My mother waited 2 years for a cataract operation, so I am shedding no tears I'm afraid. Blood is thicker than water they say!

Andrew Cassar

Mar 13th 2009, 15:36

@lgalea

I think that Anthony Baldacchino, S. Calleja are the ones defending our country not you. You should be ashamed of trying to bring down our country to the levels of Saudi Arabia and North Korea. With all our problems we are a decent country and in face of this very difficult situation we will remain decent!! The government may agree or disagree with NGOs, but with all their defects, both PN and MLP want Malta to remain a countries where human rights are paramount.

D.Galea

Mar 13th 2009, 15:13

I agree with Medecins Sans Frontieres & Thank you!! Conditions in Africa are much better, thus they should be sent back there!!

louise vella

Mar 13th 2009, 15:12

So they tell us the illegal immigrants sometimes have to wait for two or three days for some medicine. Can the Maltese people who pay taxes tell us if they are always so lucky? Some medicines for the Maltese take longer.

Gabriella tells us about the frustrations for a doctor. I tell her it is very frustrating for the Maltese citizens of this country to keep getting illegal immigrants in ever increasing numbers.

Giuseppe tells us that there is a better way even for Malta, than detention. Giuseppe, can you let the Maltese decide on that?

d. borg

Mar 13th 2009, 15:06

Shame on EU for not helping us and NGOs who continue to make a case for the immigrants but ignore the frustrations of the Maltese. Giuseppe de Mola should know that even we Maltese sometimes have to wait for our medicines. These detention centres are the best we can offer them, if they don't like them they can go back from where they came. After all, we never invited them here and as such we do'nt owe them anything.

louise vella

Mar 13th 2009, 15:00

So Giuseppe de Mola said:

"the lack of a pharmacy in detention centres meant that medicines prescribed to immigrants were not delivered on time or at all making it impossible to offer adequate and effective treatment. Mr de Mola said the lack of a proper isolation area meant that immigrants with infectious diseases were being kept with healthy individuals."

Can Giuseppe tell us:

What diseases and/or illnesses the illegal immigrants suffer from?

How many of them in each case (without giving names for reasons of confidentiality)?

What medicines or other treatment they need for each disease and/or illness?

What is the cost of the medicine and/or treatment?

Is the disease and/or illness infectious or contagious?

What is the cost of the treatment in each case?

Where is the money going to come from and when?

louise vella

Mar 13th 2009, 14:53

Congratulations Medecins sans Frontiers for a successful public relations exercise.

You come to give free medical aid. A well-intentioned , naive and weak government welcomes you. You try to dictate policy. When you fail, you pull out making sure you cause the maximum damage to the government and the country. With a press conference timed exactly on the eve of Barrot's visit, organised by a former official of European Council of Refugees and Exiles, which is close to the Jesuit Refugee Service.

Hope we all and especially the government learn to treat do-gooder NGOs as they deserve.

Louis Gialanze

Mar 13th 2009, 14:39

Detention policy is here to stay because it is exactly what the maltese people in their absolute majority want. If anything we ought to increase it, otherwise please recriminalise all forms of illegal entry into Malta as in former times before EFA caved - in to the Brussels. This time round we are all behind you on this issue Karm.

Joseph Cauchi

Mar 13th 2009, 14:39

“When the “Going” gets tough, the “Tough” get going”

However, this does NOT apply to Medecins Sans Frontiers!

Pourquoi?

../..

Michelle Dali

Mar 13th 2009, 14:38

@ Anthony Baldacchino

How easy it is to say 'shame on Malta'! Why not stop and think for a moment about the grave problems which illegal immigration has inflicted on this tiny country, instead of being so quick to condemn? Don't you realise that Malta is doing it's best to cope with an influx of illegal immigrants, the magnitude of which has never been experienced before?

MSF does alot of good work, so why are they leaving instead of staying to help? On the one hand Mr DeMola says there is need for an isolation area to hold immigrants who carry infectious diseases, on the other hand he says they should not be kept in detention but in open centres! I wonder if he realises he is contradicting himself.

If immigrants entering Malta with infectious diseases are allowed to roam freely instead of being held in detention, they will put the general public at risk. Have these NGOs completely forgotten that the citizens of Malta are human beings as well and actually have rights too? With their preaching, criticism and bad press, they are completely ignoring the needs and rights of the Maltese people. Shame on them!

Kenneth Bonnici

Mar 13th 2009, 14:27

The last thing i would do if i am a pregnant woman is to go on a boat trip knowing that i am risking my life.........

J.Tonna

Mar 13th 2009, 14:26

If MSF wanted things done the way they liked it, they should have brought money with them, not just personell. Somewhere I read that these people leave after some time and they have to give some excuse for doing so.

Also if MSF wants us to adhere to international and EU basic reception standards for immigrants, it should provide us with funds. Everybody wnats it his way. No way.

F Bonello

Mar 13th 2009, 14:22

Kindly send them to the Hilton and then we will pay the bill!!!!!!

Kurt Bailey

Mar 13th 2009, 14:18

This is not another local organisation that is saying that the conditions the immigrants are in are appalling and inhuman. This is the Medecins Sans Frontieres. What more can we say?Shame on this country for the way it's treating these unfortunate people. I won't be surprised if in the near future the EU will take some drastic actions against Malta.

J.Borg

Mar 13th 2009, 14:08

What a nice advert we're going to have now.........conditions APALLING and INHUMAN......

Aren't also maltese treated in way also in like this.....a look at our roads is the first example.....first we leave the roads deteriorate and then we say that we will pass the buck to the private sector (hope it' want be a habib!!!!!)
I think the list want end....

James Grima

Mar 13th 2009, 14:06

@ Mr. Baldacchino

I hope your comment was a sarcastic one, cause if not shame on you for being so blind. Can't you see that the illegal immigrants are the problem not the sanitation in the detention centres?

I.Cilia

Mar 13th 2009, 14:05

@ Mr De Mola..

maybe we should offer them free hospitalisation in our new state of the art Hospital in MDH.

Sometimes I wonder what these NGO's expect.

I pay my taxes, I pay my own medicines, I pay for my own living, and yet i cannot be guaranteed to have my own bed space if God forbid I would require hospitalisation.

Now these immigrants, skip the line at MDH, get free medicine, free food, mobile cards and mobiles, cigarettes etc and still demand better living conditions...

sometimes i wonder who is the irregular immigrant!!!!!!

Simon Sullivan

Mar 13th 2009, 13:55

shame and scandal the immigrants have to wait two to three days for medecines...how about my 80+ year old grandfather who has to treck to Mater Dei in the heat of summer from Valletta walk through the miles of halls at Mater Dei and queue to collect his medecines. He's paid hefty taxes all his life and he waits...they can jolly wait too for their FREE antibiotics!

It's a great loss that MSF are leaving Malta ... truly it is. Maybe they can hop over to Calais and see the much worse conditions the hundreds of immigrants waiting to get on a lorry to the UK are living in.

Michael Neville Cassar

Mar 13th 2009, 13:53

Every one talk about humane rights, and shame, we are not allowed to check for HIV because its not right. We cannot send them back, because every Tom dick and hurry says its not right. So what is right? we all get infected or the Maltese leave the island to adventurers? .The EU countries know that if they keep taking persons its not going to stop there. There is only one way and that is to stop the war lords in their country and for these people to built their life in there own country .Malta has to regulate the open border system as it is we are at mercy of unwanted persons such as criminals.

Eric Soames

Mar 13th 2009, 13:49

Tut, tut. I hope this has been broadcast all over the North African coast.

Ludwig Flask

Mar 13th 2009, 13:46

...As recognised by Medicins Sans Frontiers in its letter to the ministry, conditions at the detention centres improved in the past few months, thanks to the efforts made by the governemnt and MSF itself. "It is therefore difficult to understand how Medicins Sans Frontiers has chosen to stop its activities after six months of work, instead of continuing its important contribution for the situation to continue to improve," the ministry said... ????

J Farrugia

Mar 13th 2009, 13:44

shame on all those who are trying to shame the Maltese people and bowing unconditionally to these foreigners and denigrating your fellow maltese people. How dare Mr demolla complain about medicines or what not? when not even our pharmacies are fully fledged? Tell MSF to give us the money to purchase medicines for these illegal immigrants. If he doesn't want to give full service, the only thing we will tell them is GET OUT of our country. You are not helping us. This is no disaster. We can cope with irresponsible criticism . But all of us tell the government to withdraw us from Dublin II convention. We are a sovereign country and we can do it. It is in our national interest. Both short term as well as long term.

lgalea

Mar 13th 2009, 13:43

Have a look at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7941060.stm
to see how illegal immigrants are treated in other countries

Anthony Baldacchino, S. Calleja
Shame on you for being lackey to foreign NGOs and illegal immigrants instead of defending OUR country and your fellow citizens.

jamie pace

Mar 13th 2009, 13:37

this is really a bad PR on the part of malta..but who would blame them "MSF"for going to the press.....if they claimed to ve alerted the government about the inhuman conditions at the detention centres.....how come no action was taken since last october,leading to their pulling out....and we expect the EU to come to our rescue, yet we cant sustain the little aid we re getting from such voluntary organisation.....shame on malta...

john fenech

Mar 13th 2009, 13:35

As I have commented yesterday I do not believe that the reason for the termination of services by the MSF is due the conditions at the accommodation centres otherwise they would have done the same at Lampedusa, since the ‘New Centre’ on the Italian Island was opened on September of last year! 5 years after the MSF was providing their service on the Island!!
Par conséquent si le MSF souhaite jouer à la politique il devrait changer son nom comme PSF “Politique Sans Frontieres”.

Translated..Therefore if MSF wish to play at politics it should change its name to PSF “Politics without Frontiers”.

Joey Borg

Mar 13th 2009, 13:31

i hope there are a lot of would-be illegal immigrants reading this article.. i suggest you to think twice for coming to malta is not a better option than staying where you are...

R Dimech

Mar 13th 2009, 13:30

'Medicines were not delivered on time or at all'?? Isn't that what the Maltese taxpayers experience at government dispensaries?!?
Come to think of it, PREVENTION IS (MUCH) BETTER THAN CURE ! Illegals should not be allowed in in the first place. Then we wouldn't have this multitide of problems and nagging, interfering NGO's!

Paul Barrett

Mar 13th 2009, 13:23

Constructive criticism is useful but by pulling out Medecins Sans Frontieres have really shown that they really don't care about the condition of the illegals or they would have stayed where their help is needed.
So much for dedication - the saying "fair weather sailors" or "when the going gets tough, the tough get going" - in Medecins Sans Frontiers case, they have just gone!!!

Noel Cutajar

Mar 13th 2009, 13:21

I wonder when the NGO had prepared a report during their activities in the detention centres...I wonder why they left...I wonder why they said that the centres were in such appalling conditions and had the 'courage' to leave them worse off? I think not only Malta should re-visit its international obligations but also this so called NGO.

Matthew Arrigo

Mar 13th 2009, 13:19

You will not be missed.

The least you could have done was to leave with some respect - like all the rest who came, criticised, but did nothing (or very little) and left, you left with no grace.

MSF, THANKYOU FOR PACKING UP AND LEAVING. May others follow your example.

Manuel Camilleri

Mar 13th 2009, 13:17

@ Anthony Baldacchino . . the shame is on you

Are you keeping immigrants at your home or do you directly provide for them?

If no than twice the shame on you :)

albert leone ganado

Mar 13th 2009, 13:14

Something must be done about these appalling conditions which are giving malta such a bad name.
It is about time that the dogooders lead the way and open their purses, homes , their institutions and halls to such people. It is not enough to spout words of solidarity and support . Perhaps these dogooders should start a charity campaign across Europe for these destitute.

The nation must also understand that faced with this dramatic situation we must be cruel to be kind and put up a full up sign so then we can concentrate and perhaps alleviate the problem of those who are already here.

Francis Attard

Mar 13th 2009, 13:13

What are you waiting for Minister Mifsud Bonnici to present your resignation? Why don't you call it a Day?

Anthony Mercieca

Mar 13th 2009, 12:58

So, MSF, by leaving the island and suspending their humanitarian services, thinks that it would somehow enhance the immigrants' plight !? If Malta was to behave similarly, it would just let most of these immigrants to drown. However, I am sure that in spite of all difficulties our country would not shun off its obligations. Unlike MSF

M.Mifsud

Mar 13th 2009, 12:56

@ Anthony Baldacchino....
Shame on the rest of the EU for ignoring our need for help! Malta is the weakest part of the EU in this situation and the first thing it needs is assistance not accusations!

Joanne Micallef

Mar 13th 2009, 12:54

We've stated over and over that Malta CANNOT cope with this influx, instead of taking the easier way out, MSF should have co operated with us to plead our case within the EU to revise the Dublin 2 convention asap.

Egauci

Mar 13th 2009, 12:54

medication is not only the problem in detention centres. just read this newspaper's articles and you can verify.
malta does not need eu help for this iisue but needs less imigrants as like our sandly becahes in summer it is getting overcrowded!!!!

Paul Smith

Mar 13th 2009, 12:51

Ironic isnt it, last night on BBC 10.00 pm news, they showed the appalling conditions of Afgan and Iraqi refugees living in a cardboard slum city in makeshift tents in the port town of Calais northern France all hoping for illegal passage to England. A French charity came to the calais site twice a day with a mobile soup kitchen, there had been outbrakes of disentry and raw sewage running in the street, MSF need to get to calais quickly, once they have cleared that problem up - then and only then can they criticize small Malta which is an island that would fit in to France a million times.

S. Calleja

Mar 13th 2009, 12:49

What a PR disaster for Malta.

Johnny Tanti

Mar 13th 2009, 12:35

it's easy to go to someone else's country... point fingers and pull out when the going gets tough...

it's another completely different issue to have to face the situation day in day out. Maybe MSF, UNHCR and other similar organisations need to stop preaching to us... we know the situation, cause when they leave our shores, it is our soldiers who have to face the music...

Anthony Baldacchino

Mar 13th 2009, 12:25

Shame on Malta