Video: MSF unfair with Malta - ministry
The Home Affairs Ministry expressed disappointment that MSF forfeit the pledge it made last year to commit its resources to assist the Maltese authorities improve the conditions inside detention centres, opting instead to dramatise the issue to criticise Malta’s detention policy, a matter outside of MSF’s remit.
In its reaction to a news conference by Médecins Sans Frontières, the ministry said it recognised that crowding in detention centres was a concern.
International aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres said today that it had suspended its services at the detention centres because the conditions there were appalling and inhuman.
MSF, however, failed to appreciate that this situation was a direct result of the larger number of illegal immigrants that landed in Malta last year and the atypical arrival of more illegal immigrants during the first two months of this year.
In these circumstances, blaming crowding and the problems created by it on the Maltese authorities was both unfair and devoid of a realistic appraisal of the situation. This was especially so when considering that the Ta’ Kandja detention centre had just been expanded and was already full to capacity.
"The impression that MSF is trying to put across that the health problems being faced by illegal immigrants are down to Malta’s detention policy is grossly misleading and unrealistic.
"It should be evident that a degree of crowding in any reception facility in Malta, be it closed or open, is in the present circumstances, inevitable.
"It should be borne in mind that the purpose of our detention policy is to maintain security – even from a health point-of-view.
"In this regard, detention also ensures what is for us a priority - that the immigrants be treated for any infectious disease prior to their release into the community. The immediate release of illegal immigrants that MSF seems to be suggesting would only exacerbate these problems," the ministry said.
It reiterated that vulnerable persons were not subject to the detention requirement. Such persons had their freedom restricted only until such time as the necessary medical clearance was obtained – usually after less than a fortnight. The sheer number of arrivals experienced during the past two months unfortunately resulted in the handful of exceptions mentioned by MSF.
The ministry said it was ironic that during its press conference, MSF unequivocally declared that Malta needed help and solidarity to deal with the pressures of illegal immigration, while at the same time it also announced that it was withdrawing the assistance it was giving the Maltese authorities in dealing with the situation that existed on the ground.
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Kaydee Zammit
Mar 13th 2009, 20:06
The MSF dares to condemn Malta and its efforts when it itself turned its back on these people who are being kept in "inhuman" conditions. The nerve of some people! I guess holier-than-though complacent attitudes do not cut it with everyone do they!
Charles Sammut
Mar 13th 2009, 19:36
C.Camilleri (3 hours, 5 minutes ago) Perhaps they should go to Lampedusa. They were kicked out of Lampedusa as well. The people of Lampedusa turned on them and gently persuaded them that leaving would benefit their health. Does anyone here think that MSF is simply a charitable institution? Who finances them? Why do they always stir up trouble wherever they go? What is their real agenda? The minister was naive to accept them in the first place, but what can you expect?
Joseph Cauchi
Mar 13th 2009, 19:27
@ Jo Said, First of all, these people that are in detention are NOT, repeat NOT refugees, but illegal immigrants and secondly, we did NOT invite them to Malta, but entered our country ILLEGALY. We all know that most of them do not come from war-torn countries and therefore they do not qualify for humanitarian protection! By the way, what would you do if some stranger decided to enter your home uninvited? ../..
Dr Francis Saliba
Mar 13th 2009, 19:09
MSF is simply throwing in the towel and chickening out of an escalating illegal immigration problem that is not of our own making and for which the contribution of the European Union is to force us to continue to accept the illegal immigrants thus keeping them away from mainland Europe. MSF is behaving true to form according to this pattern.
Robert Callus
Mar 13th 2009, 19:02
What MSF say about the conditions inside detention centres, is fully compatible with what every single person who entered there says - inhumane. Detention or not should not be clearcut. I agree wird Dr Mifsud Bonnici not to abolish detention centres, but the 18 months limit should be lowered to a maximum of 6, and only if strictly necessary. Detention is costly and overcrowded because of the excessive periods people stay there. 6 months are more than enough to screen people for health reasons. Having said that, alternatives should be explored, such as having migrants (out of detention, but still possibly dangerous in any sense) report regularly at police stations, polyclinics etc. Otherwise they will lose their freedom
Robert Micallef
Mar 13th 2009, 18:49
Medecins sans Frontiers are doctors, no? so they have every right to criticise and comment on the conditions that immigrants are detained in, and that these conditions should offer at least the minimum of health standards. However, their opinion on detainment policy, namely as stated this morning that they feel that detention centres should be closed down and all new arrivals put staright away in open centres, is definitely beyond their remit, and an overstepping of their mark. I also have serious misgivings about a medical oragnisation that resorts to a strike action just because an EU Commissioner is visiting, knowing full well that this action will hurt most the very people whose intersts they should protect. As doctors they should adhere to their Hippocritical oath and not to a hypocritical stance. Having said that, the Maltese Government is in duty bound to make sure that health standards are strictly adhered to not only out of pure decency and humanitarian considerations, but also in the interests of public health in general.
Jo Said
Mar 13th 2009, 18:22
We all pay our taxes to an administrator - the Government of Malta. When refugees land our shores, they become our COLLECTIVE concern. Therefore, in simple English, you and I expect that the PUBLIC representative (the Minister of the Interior as appointed by the PM) fulfils his duty and provides ADEQUATE accommodation to whomsoever needs it. He is to offer decent and respectable facilities to them on a temporary basis and until he ascertains where they should be sent back to. In other words, the Prime Minister is to do his appointed duty. So stop this silly argument that, just because someone points a finger at the PM for NOT doing his job, the one who criticises him ends being shot at. What a weird mentality! We, the Maltese, are a civilized nation (or at least that is what we would like to think) so let us all behave civilly and treat other human beings decently when we host them. I do not accept that just because these immigrants are not welcome by many, we treat them worse than livestock. That is precisely the point MSF is emphasising. Anything short of this puts us in the third world league.
Lucia Mizzi
Mar 13th 2009, 18:19
Malta has signed up to being part of Europe and as such must abide by the Dublin Convention and European Human Rights Act and must process the immigrants that land on its shores. It is not possible to send them back, refuse to let them land etc etc. We are also signatories to the declaration of Human Rights. If we want the right to deal with immigrants the way the majority seem to wish to then we must remove ourselves from Europe immediately...and thereby relegate our children to their former status as outsiders and immigrants to other European countries. If we would rather remain in Europe then the Government must find a better way of keeping these unfortunate people. It is simply not possible that people are being kept in these conditions in the middle of a 'civilised' country. MSF are simply stating they cannot continue to work in these conditions. It is shameful that we expect them to. Our doctors should have said the same. If the Government says this is all due to temporary overcrowding then what depths will we sink to when the next boats arrive.
J Farrugia
Mar 13th 2009, 17:45
chris finch instead of throwing cheap scum about our catholicism, please give us your home so that we can place these illegal immigrants in them. The catholic community is already doing its part - where is yours? The catholic community is doing much more that the words you splatter in this blog. By being cynical and hypocratic we'll arrive nowehre. This is not a case of us being racist or whatever. We're being logical and practical. God forbid if ever all of africa comes to Malta. Where shall we place them . Is it possible that there are people here in malta who do not want to see reason? They just splatter here and there, and that's all the problem is the government's. The government is us THE PEOPLE OF MALTA. We're at the receiving end. Come summer... and we'll see the hundreds that will end on our shores. Injust one wintry month, 600 illegal immigrants came to Malta. What will happen comes fine weather?
john fenech
Mar 13th 2009, 17:38
When MSF came to Malta I praised the sterling work they were and still are doing. But I was referring to the medical assistance not to the political involvement. Such involvement is a deterrent to the illegal immigrants and an insult to the Maltese people. If the MSF policy is to withdraw its service due to insufficient facilities it should have also took the same action in Lampedusa or in several other countries were the situation is far more of a tragedy than that of Malta! Your action will only exacerbate an already grave situation! Thanks for services rendered, you are welcomed back only if you stick to your remit.
Joe Grima
Mar 13th 2009, 17:36
I bet MSF want to put pressure on EU Commissioner Jacques Barrot, a fellow Frenchman for something they want from him and which he has not yet conceded to them. They are using their show in Malta either because they want to pressurise Barrot for something which has nothing to do with us or because they want to impress him with their conscientious attitude to their work. . Malta is being used by MSF as a scapegoat. For what other reason would MSF have chosen the arrival of Barrot to put on their puerile show of force? Our Government should have no place for these opportunitsts.
Raymond Sammut
Mar 13th 2009, 17:01
@ C.Camilleri
They cannot go back to Lampedusa. They have been kicked out from there six weeks ago. They had been there for six years, during which time the illegals kept converging on Lampedusa to the point where the island is now notorious for its floating corpses.
Joseph Cauchi
Mar 13th 2009, 17:00
@ Chris Finch,
Please speak for yourself!
../..
Mario Pac e
Mar 13th 2009, 16:58
Dear Chris Finch,
please note that the overwhelming majority of the Maltese want illegal immigrants out as fast as possible. By giving them FREE healthcare, FREE food, FREE accomodation etc etc etc we are just telling them to keep coming. Besides, we are certainly not helping them. Haven't you heard the saying
"Better teach them how to fish rather than provide them with one".... This means that MSF should tackle the problem in Libya, where all of this starts.
No further comments....
Chris Finch
Mar 13th 2009, 16:29
Doesn't everyone realise what a disaster it is that MSF have pulled out? These DOCTORS were not paid by the Maltese government to work here. They came to help. Now that they have gone, the government WILL HAVE TO PAY to provide medical personnel to do the job that MSF were doing at NO CHARGE TO MALTA.
SO comments such as good riddance are so short sighted it makes me weep.
What the government should be saying is PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE COME BACK, we appreciate the work you are doing. But I guess the Maltese people are too proud to admit thier shortcomings. Ultimately it is the Maltese people who will pay.
albert grech
Mar 13th 2009, 16:28
Mr minister be firm with these NGOs as there agendas are not in the interest of the maltese community.
C.Camilleri
Mar 13th 2009, 16:25
Perhaps they should go to Lampedusa.
Mark Portelli
Mar 13th 2009, 16:16
Please go to Africa and tackle the Problem from there!
P Grech
Mar 13th 2009, 15:59
why don't we accomodate them at one of our 5star hotels? poor illegal imigrants...
J Azzopardi
Mar 13th 2009, 15:51
Stop being defensive! And let's stop expecting someone else to do the dirty work for us. We are always harping that the EU does not help Malta! We are just a bunch of spoilt kids! Grow up. The health issues that MSF have highlighted impact also the soldiers who are looking after the immigrants. How short-sighted can we be. If the minister was as quick to regularise the situation in the detention camps as he was in replying to MSF we would have no problem for MSF to complain about.
Chris Finch
Mar 13th 2009, 15:50
Great spin by the Home affairs ministry. Instead of addressing the issues raised by MSF, it chooses to criticise them instead.
MSF didn't just say that crowding was the issue, but rather Malta's failure to provide even the most BASIC requirements of reception under international standards. A big embarrassment. And no doubt we will have commentators claiming that humans don't deserve to be treated like humans just because they have fled their homeland - and then these commentators will happily go to church - Prosit Catholicism in Malta.
Joseph Cauchi
Mar 13th 2009, 15:40
Why don’t we call a spade a spade!
Medecins Sans Frontiers is not their real name.
The real name is POLITIQUES SANS FRONTIERS!
Why don’t we tell these NGO’s that their time is up and they are not welcomed in our country and that they are no longer going to take the Maltese people for a ride?
These NGO’s and other political do-gooders have their own political agenda and are using Malta in their equation.
Malta should stand up to them and tell them bluntly not to use our country for their own egoistic purposes.
We are a Sovereign State and Proud of It!
../..
Paul Galea
Mar 13th 2009, 15:33
I ave a lot of respect for MSF for the sterling help it affords people in distress , but they should not abuse their welcome . Entering into the merits of our political decition is not within their remit . They should have not come in the first place . They were welcome as long as they abided by our regulations . If they had any suggestion or disagrement they should have trashed it with the Health Authorities here .
louise vella
Mar 13th 2009, 15:17
Well, Carmelo, that is what you get when you trust the do-gooder NGOs! You deserve everything you got.