Malta pressed for time on immigration

Gunter Verheugen is still a friend of Malta and we appreciate his honesty on the sensitive subject of illegal immigration. What he may not know is that when Azzjoni Nazzjonali brought the debate into the open during the last election campaign, it was called racist and xenophobic.

When it said that Frontex would not work, it was indirectly accused of wanting to leave people to drown.

When it said, and still believes, that burden-sharing would not work because most of the member states are facing severe problems from illegal immigration - such as unemployment - Azzjoni Nazzjonali was derided.

Events since then have proved that campaign to be the usual political smearing we love to employ in Malta.

The Prime Minister admitted we had an "invasion" on our hands.

Jacques Barrot did not hesitate to call it an emergency. Mr Verheugen admits that Europe has let us down and that in any other county this would cause serious social unrest.

Of course, the Malta he looks at now is still European. But what Azzjoni Nazzjonali has been asking of people is for them to realise that if, by as early as 2012, we really would have 8,000 immigrants living in the community, how long would this country still look European?

In a Newsweek article of December 2008 about the problems facing Greece, the writer felt he had to include a quote by a shopkeeper in Omonoia Square in Athens: "Of every 10 people walking down this street, one is Greek".

Do we have to wait for this to happen, Mr Verheugen?