Never mind the global recession... immigration tops Maltese concerns

The Maltese certainly made their biggest concern heard when they inundated an EU survey with their complaints about illegal immigration.

The vast majority of those taking part in the aptly-named tellBarroso.eu survey said that Europe was turning a blind eye to the illegal immigration issue.

The Centre for European Studies' survey enticed over 153,000 participants and 12,000 proposals and the comments were relayed to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso last week.

As Europe reels from the worst recession in decades, participants made most proposals about the economy and work. The environment and law were the next most discussed subjects, but these ruffled few feathers among the Maltese respondents.

Instead, the Maltese mainly concentrated on the problem of migrant flow from Africa though immigration was considered the least relevant of the 14 themes of importance.

Many of the 133 Maltese respondents underlined the need for the problem to be shared equally.

Malta is inundated with illegal immigrants, one man argued, and the EU should put pressure on Libya so as to bring the situation under control. Ignoring Malta because it is the smallest EU country does not make sense, since ultimately the immigrants use the island as a stepping stone to reach mainland Europe.

Some are evidently reading too much into the immigration problem: "Our nation has lived through great hardships and we managed to become independent. All this now seems (to be) going down the drain. Worst (sic) than that, our so-called friendly neighbour Italy has turned into a traitor. Many are seeing our admission into the EU as a ploy by Europe to turn us into an African station."

Another said the EU needs to create opportunities to help Africans live a decent life with dignity in their own country.

"How can we ever hope to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to reduce poverty by 2015? The EU has allowed the situation to get out of hand.

It is letting a large and powerful country like Italy bully its way with a small country like Malta.

The EU has a history of ignoring similar situations in the heart of Europe which led to huge conflicts and war like Kosovo. Is history going to repeat itself?"

A few listed shortage of work or the state of the economy among their concerns. Some individuals said the EU should focus on job security and creation.

Another lamented that the public sector and other companies were increasingly resorting to early retirement schemes, which came at the expense of the tax-paying public.

The island issue cropped up among the concerns, with some people insisting on the need for better transport to link with mainland Europe and the importance of eliminating travel taxes.

A number of those who responded claimed that EU membership had robbed the country of its freedom.

One eurosceptic respondent said: "We do not want to stay in the EU. We have been deceived by the Nationalist Party and by (Commissioner Gunther) Verheugen. We want to get out and shall get out of the EU whatever it takes."

Another was less diplomatic: "Every industry and every company we had, especially the shipyards, was destroyed by the EU. Curse you."

One respondent felt the need to resort to the European Commission boss to express his domestic dispute.

He claimed that he was victimised by police, and that he is being taken to court after he was bitten by a dog belonging to a Labour MP.

"Do you believe this? The police of Malta protect the aggressor and arrest the victim," he protested.

One man felt the climate change issue had already had an impact on Malta, judging by the colder and wetter winter earlier this year.

A number of respondents took the opportunity to highlight the fact that Malta remains the only EU state with no divorce legislation.

"We need a divorce law quickly... many have already died a lone death after being alone for many years. The European Parliament should order the Maltese government to legislate a divorce law for those who need it," one man said. Of course, the EP cannot do that.