Kurt Sansone
Migrants protest against Marsa centre employee
There was a massive police presence at the Marsa open centre for the second day running yesterday after protests by residents against the centre's coordinator continued. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli
It was not a normal working day at the Marsa open centre yesterday as residents protested for the second day running against the presence of the coordinator, Ahmed Bugri.
The director of the Organisation for Integration and Welfare of Asylum Seekers (Oiwas), Alex Tortell said he spent a whole day at the centre meeting with representatives of the migrants.
"We listened to their complaints and accusations and assured them that we would be looking into them. However, we made it clear they had no right to decide who was employed at the centre," Mr Tortell said.
The Marsa centre is run by Fondazzjoni Suret il-Bniedem on behalf of the government agency Oiwas.
Mr Bugri reported for work as usual in the morning but residents started objecting to his presence a day after staging a peaceful but noisy protest against what they described as his "dictatorial" way of running the place.
At one point a sizeable police contingent was on standby outside the centre's gate. However the situation remained calm. The police left when Mr Bugri drove off out the centre to the applause of his detractors.
When contacted later, Mr Bugri said he left on his own accord and wasn't asked to leave. "I had an appointment at the ID card office. I did not go back because I felt that my presence could prejudice any investigation the Oiwas director wanted to make. I want the allegations to be investigated because I did nothing wrong. However, I expect the allegations to be substantiated," Mr Bugri said.
On Monday, Mr Bugri said he wanted to introduce more discipline and order at the Marsa open centre and this was irritating a number of migrants, most of who did not live there.
The issue that brought matters to a head was the construction of a new gate that would enable the centre's management to control access into and out of the centre. "The gate was meant to serve as additional security for the residents themselves. The centre is home to hundreds of migrants and every home deserves to have a front gate," Mr Tortell said.
He insisted there was no intention of introducing a curfew but control measures were intended to make sure that only Marsa residents actually lived there. It transpires that a number of migrants from the Ħal Far tent city moved to Marsa because of the unbearable heat under the tents.
Oiwas has started replacing the tents with mobile homes but progress is slow.
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Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi
Jul 30th 2009, 14:24
@Moses Mula,
Many people are well versed in african studies and history, more than you ever imagined.
The condition of some of the nations of sub saharan africa are due to africans.
There tired excuse of a colonial past of 50 years ago and the exploitation by world corporations has gotten very lame and tired and is highly inaccurate.
Even president Obama has said this in his Ghana speech, and it is time for the people in these nations to roll up their sleeves and work hard to improve their nations and governments, and to stop blaming others.
Billions of dollars are given to african nations as aid every year not to mention food subsidies.
I'll bet the house that if africa was populated with the people of the nation you are blogging from,
its problems would not be there.
claire farrugia
Jul 30th 2009, 07:49
I might not agree with anybody making comments here but I think Mr Tortell has the duty to see into this. If they are all complaining, there must be a reason, I do not think their accusations are completely false. Of course this is just my opinion and I hope it is respected, As I respect the opinion of others i feel i can also express my opinion freely in this county.... in a democracy everybody has a RIGHT to protest (freely of course WITHOUT VIOLENCE).
m azzopardi
Jul 29th 2009, 23:25
They even complain against Mr Bugri who is African. Just imagine what they would do if they had to integrate with us like some NGOs want.
Thank God that the majority of the Maltese are fed up and do not want them.
All they want to do is get drunk,protest,riot and collect their cheque from the taxpayers !!
Moses Mula
Jul 29th 2009, 19:31
@Sandro Pace, your comment is so innacurate that you will need a huge amount of history, social studies and economic studies to learn the truth behind cause of conflicts in Africa. Unbelievable how people make comments and statements about things that they haven´t got a clue about.
Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi
Jul 29th 2009, 19:00
@ Sandro Pace,
Very well said, I blogged something very similar on the 27th of July, but it was censored for some reason, although it was worded in a very polite and pc way.
These people run away from chaos in their homeland instead of working hard to improve their nations and governments while living there, yet they want to bring chaos here.
It is no wonder that the great and rich massive continent to our south will always be a basket case.
Raymond Sammut
Jul 29th 2009, 16:08
Mr Bugri and others try to do their best for them, but the ingratitude and unreasonableness of these unlawful entrants just simply continues. One has to ask, if they were not ungrateful and unreasonable, how else would they be on Malta, on our precious little land, in the first place?
c. camilleri
Jul 29th 2009, 16:01
Just send them back to their countries where they can enjoy the freedom the ask for. These are only giving us trouble and wasting our human and financial resources. We expect Govt to do more in this direction and not rely upon the generosity of other states.
Denis Catania
Jul 29th 2009, 15:28
I counted 12 police officers. Which is 12 less police officers protecting tourists, legal immigrants and Maltese. This is a job for the AFM, where they can show force, if need be.
Louis Gialanze
Jul 29th 2009, 14:18
Remember the old adage - give them a finger and lose your arm. . We have been hood winked into believing that illegal immigration was a temporary phenomena. We do not even know how much each immigrant is really costing us. Many are being placed in government housing in preference to the maltese people. Of course, they get social security benefits, free medical care, free food and lodging but they never as much as contributed a cent to state coffers - and to add insult to injury whilst we buckle under the weight of the utility bills the illegals consume for free. They even get free telecards to phone their relatives at home encouraging them to come over and get 5000 Euros back to leave Malta. What more can they ask for! Wake up Malta you have been sold out by your leaders to the EU .
Charles Sammut
Jul 29th 2009, 13:25
According to other sources, Mr Bugri was threatened with his life should he return to the Marsa Open Centre.
This area is a state within a state. Businesses (peddling both legal and illegal wares) have been set up but the authorities are reluctant to interfere.
lgalea
Jul 29th 2009, 12:29
louise vella, H DEMPSTER, Phil Humphries, mario gellel, john azzopardi, Andrew Harding, Joanne Micallef, M. Tabone, Sandro Pace
TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU ALL.
EXPEL THEM ALL.
THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT TO BE IN MALTA.
Mario Attard
Jul 29th 2009, 12:20
Many of us who are concerned about illegal migration have, for quite a long time now, warned about this situation. Slowly but surely, they are getting bolder in their protests and demands.
Just look what is happening to England. Each year 70,000 English people are leaving England for good because of the disastrous effects of uncontrollable immigration!!
Sandro Pace
Jul 29th 2009, 12:14
There lies a perfect mirror reflection of why Africa is where and what it is, and so distinct from the rest of the civilised world. Not the naive foreign intervention excuse, but their attitude. "We dont like controls and order, so we forcibly remove the leader". It happens so often in their continent. They cant tolerate order, and carry anarchy with them.
Imagine in larger numbers. They ruin any sense of civilisation.
M. Tabone
Jul 29th 2009, 12:01
These clandestines are just problems for us......just problems!! The sooner the Maltese understand this point the sooner.
Joanne Micallef
Jul 29th 2009, 11:58
So they are here illegally, they get an allowance, they get free healthcare, they get free lodging with all the perks like free water and electricity yet they still have something to complain about.
Well they must have had it very good back in their own country if they still expect more than what they are getting. Personally I dont know why they are complaining, if they're not happy at the centre they are free to go and rent somewhere else or avail themselves of the voluntary repatriation scheme and leave.
How do they expect the centre, which holds so many people to run smoothly without having a basic set of rules?
Andrew Harding
Jul 29th 2009, 11:56
Right enough is enough, throw every single one of them out of Malta immediately, lock them in boats and tow them back to Africa anywhere there will do, and don't allow even one more in to the country, who do they think they are ????
john azzopardi
Jul 29th 2009, 11:44
Let's hope they do not get what they are demanding. Everyone ones that you give a finger and they want the whole hand. this proverb is not just in this situation, but in every day life situation and it applies to every maltese and other world citizen. Cannot imagine how malta would be coping this summer if we had thousands of illegals joining those other thousands already here. Of course this is just a small repreive because I am sure they will start revisiting us soon. God help us. What is little Malta suppose to do. Where is the leadership.
mario gellel
Jul 29th 2009, 11:39
BUILD A TEMPORARY OPEN CENTRE ON FILFLA FOR THEM. ON CONDITION THAT THEY CANNOT STEP ON MAINLAND MALTA.
Phil Humphries
Jul 29th 2009, 11:22
Incredible ! What do they want, the Garden of Eden? If they miss the five star treatment they received in their own countries then they are more than welcome to return.
This is what happens when countries like the UK and others provide illegal immigrants with generous benefits and rent-free houses ahead of their own national's needs. It sends the wrong signals and encourages economic migrants to break the law.
Burden sharing is the answer to this problem... Not the burden of integrating illegals into society, but rather the cost burden of providing prison ships in which to house them in neutral EU waters.
louise vella
Jul 29th 2009, 10:59
There is only one solution. All illegal and unwanted immigrants should be sent back to their own countries or to any other country that wants them.
They can fight for their rights either in their own country or in the countries that take them.
We want Malta to be a peaceful country without these problems imported from African countries.
H DEMPSTER
Jul 29th 2009, 10:57
just throw them out of the island. They have no right to be here ,in the first place, let alone dictate who runs the place. But as usual GonziPn ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
louise vella
Jul 29th 2009, 10:08
"they had no right to decide who was employed at the centre"
And they have no right at all in this country. If they want rights they can go back to their own country.