Herman Grech
Where have all the immigrants gone?
Mystery shrouds the sudden drought in illegal immigrant arrivals, though observers believe that Libya is taking the problem more seriously than it did in the past.
Official figures show Malta has so far this year received the smallest number of immigrants since 2003.
Only two boats containing illegal immigrants have landed in Malta in the past four months and not one asylum seeker has arrived on the island this month - compared with 575 in June last year.
Rome-based UNHCR spokesperson Laura Boldrini could offer no explanation for the sudden drop:
"It's difficult to say what is going on, especially since the flow of immigrants in winter persisted. According to what was reported, immigration control is part of the Italy/Libya friendship agreement... It is difficult to establish whether this will last," she told The Sunday Times.
Analysts believe Libya has ordered a crackdown on human trafficking but the big question is what led to it and, more importantly, how long will it last.
There are suspicions that Italy and Libya have struck a secret deal worth billions in "reparation" over 20 years. British newspaper The Independent recently reported that Libya will get "a world-class autostrada" from one end of the country to the other and one of the conditions dictates Tripoli is to control the flow of immigrants towards Europe.
During a visit to Rome earlier this month, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi faced protests from students following an accord between the two countries to set up joint naval patrols to intercept immigrants. The deal states that immigrants intercepted at sea will be sent back to Libya without checking whether they have legitimate asylum claims.
Officials who spoke to The Sunday Times said the promised joint patrols between Italy and Libya have not started, and human trafficking appears to have been stemmed at source.
The arrival figures are even more surprising considering that the first two months of the year triggered alarm bells when four boats landed with over 700 illegal immigrants in Malta. The authorities feared trafficking patterns had changed and that African immigrants would start attempting their journeys on ships rather than small, rickety boats. As a result, Malta prepared for the worst in 2009.
Yet, since a boat of 227 immigrants landed in Malta on February 18, there have been just two more landings, one of which hit the headlines after an Italian patrol boat turned back a Maltese patrol boat containing rescued immigrants close to Lampedusa.
The numbers are drastically down in Lampedusa and Sicily as well (see tables below). The number of fatalities has also dropped - around 340 people are believed to have died in the Sicilian channel in the first four months of the year, down from 640 in the same period last year.
Salvatore Cancemi, captain of an Italian fishing boat, who defied the odds and bad weather and saved 300 immigrants from the sea, recently called Ms Boldrini from a satellite phone to say that immigrant crossings have "disappeared".
However, Ms Boldrini said: "When these immigrants cross the Mediterranean it's like Russian roulette. But experience has shown that desperate people will not stop trying to escape - instead they will take more dangerous routes."
When contacted, Armed Forces' commander Carmel Vassallo also said he could not explain what had happened.
"We are still going on with the Frontex patrol operations, but there is a drastic reduction. We are meeting no immigrants at sea."
He said there was a possibility that Libya and Italy were cooperating more on the management of immigration - and this could be having a positive impact.
He also shot down the accusation that the EU's Frontex patrols were intercepting more immigrants and returning them to Libya, but warned: "Irrespective of the patrols, some boats will always go through. Sometimes you will not even realise the immigrants have landed. It's impossible to contain them - so there seems to be an effort (in Libya)."
Though Italy and Malta have been afforded respite from illegal immigration, human rights groups are concerned about the fate of genuine asylum seekers.
Ms Boldrini hit out at the lack of transparency with the so-called push-backs, where those fleeing Africa by boat are being forced back to Libya, which means it is difficult for UNHCR to organise the assistance of these people upon arrival in Tripoli. Media reports said Italy transported back to Libya 72 immigrants who had been intercepted at sea on June 18.
"Sadly, Europe is becoming more inaccessible and there are governments that are increasingly considering externalising the right of asylum.
"The Italian government has greeted the stoppage of immigrants' flow but we don't know if this is good news especially since last year the vast majority of those landing in Malta or Italy were asylum seekers and most obtained some form of protection."
The UNHCR in Libya is not in a position to fully implement its mandate since Tripoli did not sign up to the Geneva Convention for Refugees. This means that the UNHCR is not given access to all detention camps. Libya does not have any asylum legislation and the UNHCR is not formally recognised.
Ms Boldrini said the UNHCR could cooperate with governments, but could not offer the protection which should be provided by the State.
Observers who spoke to The Sunday Times suspect the halt to the immigration flow may only be temporary, and fear that Libya may relax its position once again.
26 Comments
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cecil herbert jones
Jun 29th 2009, 20:39
Or else the boats halt their crossing from Libya in Summer, since good weather means the sea and the shore will be better patrolled. Given this I would expect them to resume their trade in winter. Either that or else Gaddafi struck a deal with Italy, but I doubt it and doubt it would be long term too.
Sander Depasquale
Jun 29th 2009, 00:57
So we are complaining now that the illegal immigrants are not coming!!
Anyway, they come here for money, in reality we do not give a rosy welcome to these poor young men!
Michelle Dali
Jun 28th 2009, 22:19
'The number of fatalities has also dropped...'
Surely this is the best news we've had in a long time. This is proof that the so called 'phenomena' of illegal immigration was causing the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of men, women and children.
UNHCR should now ensure that they set up offices in Africa itself where people who are being persecuted can apply for asylum, instead of lamenting the fact that illegal immigration by the Libya - Malta/Italy route has stopped.
The mass exodus from Africa we witnessed in the past few years was not beneficial either to Europe or to Africa itself. NGOs should encourage Africans to work towards bringing about peace and stability to their own countries instead of running away to try to find a better life in Europe.
Denis Catania
Jun 28th 2009, 20:17
@Jos Ellul: All ILLEGAL immigrants.
M. abuseadah
Jun 28th 2009, 20:04
Great improvement, a big thank you to all the loyal citizens who have stood for securing the future of our Islands, wish it will end once forever!
But still I wonder what would happen with the 12,000 immigrant already have entered the islands? Are they goanna become a part of us?! Or one day they will be sent back?!
Lets keep holding, believe that we can, and surely it is our duty since it is "our" land/home.
Sahha,
Jos.Ellul
Jun 28th 2009, 20:02
Denis Catania this also applies i hope to some loud mouthed touts especially in Bugibba who i believe some are foreigners and not of Maltese nationality especially drop outs from Britian.
steve elliott,uk
Jun 28th 2009, 19:31
Let sleeping dogs lie !!
Denis Catania
Jun 28th 2009, 18:03
The Maltese people put pressure on the government with facebook groups like Save Malta From Illegal Immigration and the Italians voted an anti illegal immigration government. Thank you to all the true Maltese who supported the anti illegal immigration movement. We still have a lot of work ahead of us. We won't stop until the last ILLEGAL leaves the island.
Mario Attard
Jun 28th 2009, 17:44
I just hope that the agreements between Italy and Libya stand for a long time. It seems that it is the only hope to halt the invasion of illegal immigrants who have no right to come here in the first place. In 2008 alone, there were 1281 of such cases!!
Ivan Attard
Jun 28th 2009, 17:35
Just who cares what people like Ms Laura Boldrini says and implies. May this 'drought' be long and sustained and for this we must give credit to il Cavaliere and his Rightist government. Let the do-gooders whine and cry for the 'fate' of these would be illegal invaders - we are so happy at not seeing any of them lately.
CLIFTON GATT
Jun 28th 2009, 15:41
I HOPE THAT THIS DROUGHT KEEPS GOING.........R U MISSING THEM?OUR ISLAND HAS MORE IMPORTANT AGENDAS TO WORK ON......
louise vella
Jun 28th 2009, 15:03
Ms Laura Boldrini has been described in the Italian press as "un esponente di Rifondazione Comunista" and I have not seen any denial by her. This gives an indication of the kind of ideologically motivated people working for UNHCR. Why should what Ms Laura Bodrini says be given any weight? Why are others quoted described simply as analysts and observers? How many analysts and observers may there be who think and say the opposite? UNHCR has made a terrible mistake in Malta by treating us like some UNHCR colony ready to obey its orders and willing to let UNHCR bully us. UNHCR has lost its credibility. It will have to work very very hard to regain it.
Joanne Micallef
Jun 28th 2009, 14:24
A heartfelt thanks to the Italian Goverment who has taken a very clear stand against illegal immigration. Lets hope that the current situation will remain, as the way I see it, it’s the only way the UNHCR will finally try to set up a proper office somewhere in Africa, where it will be able to process all the asylum requests in order to protect those few who deserve to make it safely to Europe.
mark farrugia
Jun 28th 2009, 14:18
A big THANK YOU to Prime Minister Mr S Berluconi and Col Gaddafi.
Jean Borg
Jun 28th 2009, 13:29
It takes real politicians to take action. Berlusconi unlike our priminister made an agreement to stop the invasion. He caught the bull by the horns, not by the tail, while our useless politicians are still whining for burden sharing and more Frontex missions.
Nobody will risk their lives and entire life savings to be sent back to Libya.
M. Gatt
Jun 28th 2009, 13:15
This article reminds me of comments I heard this week at work. Two colleagues of mine were grumbling that up to now we did not have a proper Summer yet!! They were grumbling because the temperatures are still not very high!!! Incredible!!
Joe Camilleri
Jun 28th 2009, 11:52
Well we have our own problems to care for. Let the illegals take care about theirs. Now we are grumbling because they are not comming??
The less the merier
J. Bugeja
Jun 28th 2009, 11:28
Tante Grazie Italia!
Steven Brockwell
Jun 28th 2009, 11:11
its just like i said a long time ago be tough send them back and they will not come here anymore???.why would anyone spend thousands to come here just to be sent back??? you open the doors for one you open them for all. close the doors for one and you are closing them for many its just that simple. should have done this years ago. ????
P Borg
Jun 28th 2009, 11:11
Malta has been abiding by the rules for a very long time. It is unjust for us to reintroduce Frontex to Malta again. Frontex should be applied to Libya, who disregards every law and everything under the sun. Why punish Malta and not Libya?
Sandro Pace
Jun 28th 2009, 10:57
With the proportions we were witnessing, we cannot afford to ask this question or care for the answer. UNHCR misjudged public opinion in recipient countries, closed its eyes to rampant abuse, and there you have it.
It is true that a small percentage truly deserving asylum are also being returned to libya, but there was no other choice sorry. Those that did not deserve anything were remaining here anyhow, and those that do has increased.
The end justifies the means. so far.......
Joe Vella
Jun 28th 2009, 10:56
One Billion Euros gives you a lot of leverage. Illegal immigration was used by Libya to squeeze out of Italy a long sought apology and compensation from Italy for it's past deeds and occupation.
Charles Sammut
Jun 28th 2009, 10:50
The do-gooders have to choose. Let hundreds of Africans drown while crossing so that a few, less than 20, get awarded refugee status or save human lives and encourage genuine refugees to seek refuge in UNHCR refugee camps set up in Africa itself?
The more we hear, the more we get convinced that the UNHCR is an incompetent organisation. What will they suggest next? Airlifting a few million African refugees to Europe?
I can well understand the concerns of NGOs working in this field. Their very existence (and EU funds) is threatened.
lgalea
Jun 28th 2009, 10:46
"Sadly, Europe is becoming more inaccessible and there are governments that are increasingly considering externalising the right of asylum."
They have NO right of asylum in Malta or Europe Boldrini.
Check the 1951 Refugee Convention Boldrinmi.
Ms Boldrini, if you want to help the African illegal immigrants go to their own countries and help them there. They are unwanted and unwelcome in Malta.
Louis Sinagra
Jun 28th 2009, 10:29
The less they come the better
Giancarlo Refalo
Jun 28th 2009, 10:27
DON'T TEMPT FATE!!! before you know it we'll have 1000 new ones arriving next month. now conspiracy theorists will say that the illegals are preparing for an invasion. the do gooders will say that they're being slaughtered in international waters. The indifferents will roll their eyes. The hopefuls will praise the government and immediately credit it with the solution of the problem.
let's wait and see eh?