Darrell Pace, communication coordinator, Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs, Valletta
Asylum Pact is basis for further action
I refer to the letter by Marija Falzon under the title Muscat Proven Right On Burden Sharing (May 13).
It is worth reminding readers that prior to the Pact on Immigration and Asylum, the European Union did not have a document - let alone a policy - that spoke of the principle of solidarity between member states on matters related to immigration.
The Pact is, in fact, the document that primarily put the issue of immigration at the top of the EU's agenda and secondly inserted the concept of burden-sharing as part of the EU's framework. Both points are to Malta's merit. Had it not been for our continuous efforts these would have never been achieved.
Moreover, since the Pact was approved late last year, the Maltese government moved proactively and as fast as possible to ensure that this Pact is brought to act as expeditiously as possible.
It must also be emphasised that without this Pact, the governments of Malta and Italy would not have had the basis on which to press the European Commission to start the long and difficult road for an effective obligatory mechanism on member states.
Had the government heeded to the Leader of the Opposition's call to veto the Pact, it would have been impossible to act on this issue. The recommended veto would have amounted to shooting ourselves in the foot.
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Adriano Spiteri
May 20th 2009, 09:15
Burden Sharing is dead as Verheugen himself stated.
At this point we should be speaking of Burden Elimination not Burden Sharing. Who wants to be burdened by African illegals anyway? That a tiny minority keeps insisting in favour of a burden which we (the taxpayers) have to make good for is ridiculous.
NEARLY ALL MEP CANDIDATES are in favour of burden sharing and that Europe should help us overcome OUR crisis. I really believe Imperium Europa is a step ahead for it recognized the problem long before it became a national crisis. The ideal MEP should be someone who is able to co-operate with the Italians not someone who disagrees. I'm afraid that only Norman Lowell is the only fit candidate for MEP - after all while all others published booklets (the campaign quota is a joke!) and littered our letterboxes with spam, he published a whole new book about his ideology. What a remarkable contrast.
Yes I do believe, a vote for Mr Lowell is a vote for the salvation of our beloved island.
louise vella
May 19th 2009, 15:35
Apart from the usual PN/PL bickering, can Mr Pace tell us:
What is the exact number of illegal immigrants at present in Malta?
How many actually came since the famous pact was concluded?
What is the government doing to repatriate those illegal immigrants (and we all know there are many) who have no legal right to stay in Malta?
What is the cost of illegal immigration to: Malta's health services, Malta's education system, the maintenace of law and order in Malta, our social services?
Joseph Calleja
May 19th 2009, 14:25
BAH.....HUMBUG
laurence schembri
May 19th 2009, 13:16
is this letter meant to be information by the justice and Home Affairs, or simply another political dig at the LP. Shame that such facetious letters from Ministerial Offices are even considered worth publishing.
lgalea
May 19th 2009, 12:51
Yes Darrell, the EU had a policy.
That of the freedom of movement of persons so that workers could go from one country to another to destroy the wages and working conditions of the local workers and an immigration policy of accepting immigrants including illegal immigrants to continue destroying the workers and European Society. In other words, a multicultural society which has proved to be unsustainable and created destruction and fighting as evidenced by the Brixton, Paris and other riots.
That is what the vast majority of the Maltese citizens do not want to see happening in Malta and that is what we have witnessed several times when the illegal immigrants burned and destroyed their quarters, attacked our security forces, trafficked in drugs, prostitution, murder and all sorts of other illegalities.
The only way out of this terrible mess is to leave the EU as soon and as fast as possible as we have every right to do to save ourselves and our country.