Maurice Mizzi, Bidnija
Cheers for Silvio Berlusconi
Although I am essentially an Anglophile at heart, at the same time I have always been a great admirer of the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi particularly now that not only has he solved many problems in his country (who cares about his amorous peccadilloes) but with one courageous decision he has for the time being eased our problem of weekly arrivals of illegal immigrants.
Malta yet has to learn that there is a time for diplomacy and a time for tough action.
After four years of talk, talk and more talk I believe that we have exhausted completely any possibility of the EU taking our problem seriously. The only diplomat who took concrete action had been the American Ambassador Molly Bordonaro who last year had managed to persuade the American immigration authorities to take a few hundred immigrants from Malta.
I think that should the illegal immigrant train resume we should copy Mr Berlusconi's action. Furthermore the Maltese who possibly are involved in this human trafficking should be caught and brought to justice. In the meantime, we should see what we will be doing with the 9,000 odd immigrants on our island. While in Malta they should be looked after well but keeping them here is not the best of ideas. For one thing their birth rate is normally three times ours. According to the British newspapers, in the UK these days only two out of three babies are white and, therefore, soon the number of immigrants in Malta could also increase to such an extent that they could change the character of our island and our religion. These immigrants have to be sent back to their own country. After all they have arrived here without any invitation or any permit. I hate to think what would happen to me if I landed in any country outside the EU without a visa or a passport. The number of genuine political refugees can be counted on the fingers of one hand. After all, these immigrants were not being politically molested in the last place where they lived - Libya.
In the present economic downturn we can ill afford the millions of euro being meted out to these people. Apparently hundreds of these immigrants are weekly cashing cheques being given to them by our government. All this when we have an unemployment problem, and 60,000 of our own people, particularly those living in the south, are living below the poverty line. There is also a security issue since the religion of the majority is Islam, an aggressive religion. Not every Muslim is a terrorist but nearly every terrorist these days happens to be a Muslim.
Popular Stories
In Discussion
14 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Maurice Mizzi
Jun 18th 2009, 12:40
Dear All
I am very pleased that almost every contributor has agreed with the contents of my letter except for a Mr Joseph Camilleri.
We seem to differ. Fair enough. That is democracy.
If he does not like Silvio Berlusconi that is his problem. Perhaps the Italian Prime Minister might have seduced Mr Camilleri’s girlfriend. However, he must agree that it is thanks to him that we did not have any landings in the last few months or is he in favour of these immigrants staying in Malta in which case he should inform me so I will send him a prayer rug.
Concerning Mr Formosa’s concern about the people in the South living below poverty line and for me doing charity by employing a few extra people, I employ a 1000 people and quite a few of them live in the South and I also have established a foundation named after my father Spiro Mizzi Foundation which this year will start to help exactly those people in the South i.e. Vittoriosa, Cospicua and Senglea.
I thank you all for your encouraging letters.
louise vella
Jun 17th 2009, 18:08
“Apparently hundreds of these immigrants are weekly cashing cheques being given to them by our government. All this when we have an unemployment problem, and 60,000 of our own people, particularly those living in the south, are living below the poverty line.”
I am particularly sensitive to this as I originally come from the south of Malta. Can the GonziPN government inform us: what is the full and total cost of illegal immigrants to Malta (that is, to you and me and the ordinary Maltese taxpayer) including health, accommodation, security, education and other costs? What is GonziPN doing to repatriate back to their own countries the thousands of illegal immigrants currently in Malta that are competing for jobs etc with Maltese workers, including those from the south of Malta?
joseph camilleri
Jun 17th 2009, 17:44
@ Maurice Mizzi.
Dear Mr Mizzi, I laughed out loud reading your reply.You confirm my point: it is precisely through watching a lot of italian television (read "propoganda") that people like you come to believe that berlusconi enjoys the approval of 70% of the electorate. It is he who has been saying this time and again. MEP elections gave his party a mere 35%. A long way away from your cited 70%.
One last point, you also seem to be suffering from the parrot syndrome, repeating Berlusconi's own accusations at all those that disagree with him, calling them communists.
Please make yourself a favour and do wake up to reality!!!!!!
i rest my case.
clare spiteri
Jun 17th 2009, 17:42
Thank you so much for your eloquent letter Mr Mizzi. We agree with you completely. Will the relevant people please take note. Perhaps you can advise them ,and point out to them that people in Malta are most unhappy about the illegal immigrant situation.
pat camilleri
Jun 17th 2009, 17:36
Mr Mizzi, you are a man after my own heart. Well said.I agree with it all. Who cares about Mr Berlusconi,s affaires of the heart?The italians voted him in for other qualities, and leadership. I have been to italy lately and most people seem to be delighted with him. Like you,I am an Anglophile and would rather have had a Margaret Thatcher, but failing that A Mr Berlusconi would do very nicely thank you.
c. camilleri
Jun 17th 2009, 15:46
@ joseph Camilleri All your remarks about the performance of Berlusconi's Govt is a repeat of what the opposition parties say in the Italy. It is the same here. For some politically blinded persons the Govt has never done anything good and Malta is in a mess. Berlusconi has so far succeeded to hold the clandestine people away from his country and being in the way Malta has benefited too. He has also took measures to repatriate many of those who are staying in Italy illegally. Good job even if il-Kavaliere is not the blue eye boy of the leftists.
Mizzi Maurice
Jun 17th 2009, 15:32
I would like to refer to Mr. Joseph Camilleri’s contribution.
We may disagree but in my opinion if nothing else Prime Minister Berlusconi has cleared the millions of tons of garbage in Naples, he is giving a home to every person who lost their home in Abruzzo and every day you can hear some good news for the Italians.
In contrast Prodi did nothing and Silvio Berlusconi is a breath of fresh air for the Italians so much so that he enjoys 70% popularity – a record for any Prime Minister in the world.
You should watch more Italian channels Mr. Camilleri and stop being influenced by Communist opponents to Silvio.
Maurice Mizzi
joseph camilleri
Jun 17th 2009, 12:48
Apart from the incomprehsible reasoning about being an anglophile at heart and an admirer of an Italian premier, about which other bloggers have expressed themselves, i am totally at a loss to understand what Mr Mizzi means by Berlusconi having "solved many problems in his country".
What solutions is he talking about? All official statistics about economic growth, public deficit and employment during Berlusconi's reign as Premier have been dismal. If one were to consider also what has been done on justice reforms, strenghtening of democracy and public probity, then the situation is so much more dramatic.
Wake up Mr Mizzi, it doesnt take much grey matter to comprehend where Berlusconi would take Italy, if he had it his way.
lgalea
Jun 17th 2009, 12:34
Without entering into the merits of the various issues mentioned by the writer, I agree that ALL illegal immigrants are to be expelled back to their own countries or back to Libya where they could have stayed. They came here uninvited and are unwelcome and unwanted. This included all those who have overstayed their visa. Other countries examples where illegal immigrants have wreaked havoc are clearly an example of what would happen in Malta if they are not all sent back.
Marvin Mizzi
Jun 17th 2009, 12:10
Silvio Berlusconi is a very good example of what it means to be a Prime Minister. First of all he managed to steer the ship Italy even in these difficult times. He made it a safer place to go. He did not bulge to foreign pressure when he thought that what he is doing the right thing for his country. Europe needs Prime Ministers like Berlusconi!!!!
Anthony Formosa
Jun 17th 2009, 11:57
Mr M.Mizzi, the point of departure is Libya so you should thank Col Gaddafi for controlling the situation even though nobody cares what Libya is going through. If and when some illegal immigrants are rescued close to Malta, Mr Berlusconi will not sympathise with us, but they'll be sent to Malta.
Mr Mizzi, you should never discriminate between colours are believes, as you're already been doing this to a section of Maltese people. If people in the south are living below the poverty line, and many unemployed, the only solution is to show some charity and employ a few extra people.
Albert Farrugia
Jun 17th 2009, 11:05
Why should "being an Anglophile at heart" be in contradiction to be an admirer of Silvio Berlusconi? It seems that in our tiny little insular world we seem to think that the Anglo-Italo divide we have here is universal.
Frans Sammut
Jun 17th 2009, 11:02
"Although I am essentially an Anglophile at heart, at the same time I have always been a great admirer of the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi..." Mr Mizzi must be 100 years old. His kind of reasoning made sense in the 1930s when the Maltese (still childish in their pre-Independence days) thought the world was made up of Anglos and Eyties. Take "The Times". In the 1930's it was rabidly anti-PN because of the PN's Italianate bias, today it is anything but that. What kind of argument is Mr Mizzi's? As far as I see it, being "Anglophile" (whatever this may mean) does not preclude liking an Italian person. Why one should preclude or exclude the other is beyond me. On the other hand... in order to admire Silvio Berlusconi, if I may say it, takes more than being "Anglophile" or "Italophile". It is a matter of taste. To my mind, Il Cavaliere represents the lowest kind of political taste ever.
joe scerri
Jun 17th 2009, 10:16
Agree with you 100%
Also the burden sharing nonsense has to stop as this is an incentive for more to come.
I am sure we will hear the usual comments that this is a Catholic country(on paper at least), we are racists , bla bla bla, so be it.