Baby born on migrants' boat airlifted to Malta
A newborn baby and its mother are being medically evacuated by a Malta-based Italian Airforce rescue helicopter from onboard a boat carrying 84 migrants some 90 miles south of Malta.
The boat was reported by the Italian Ministry of Transport's Rescue Co-ordination Centre which alerted the AFM earlier this morning.
Those on board the boat include 20 women, and the baby born on the boat.
The boat was reported making steady speed northwards at six knots.
The Italo-Maltese flight crew was scrambled earlier this afternoon onboard an AB212 SAR-helicopter. Two merchant vessels were diverted by Malta rescue centre to render assistance as required.
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IVAN GRIXTI
Aug 13th 2009, 16:23
Dear All,
this is surely a day and an event that our lads at the AFM will certainly continue to remember. Definitely, after the unfortunate event earlier this year when gunner Psaila lost his life while undergoing training, what Sgt. Neville Cilia and his mates managed to do is an occasion that proves that our Armed Forces are highly skilled and capable of delivering when the need arises.
Congrats to the staff at the Rescue Centre as well.
Whatever your name, baby, welcome to the Island of Paul.
Keep it up lads and may God bless you all.
Proud to be Maltese
Sandro Pace
Aug 13th 2009, 09:38
Mr. Antoine Vella
And what guarantee do you have that your mentioned genes are any better? If genes and behaviour are related, a cursory look at that continent would be enough to come to a conclusion.
"we manage to create a democratic island" (gc forte),
and it is by no coincidence. Homogeneity, in general, did it. Just look at Cyprus, another small island.
So it can be that the majority are happy as they are, comments and all.
Now anyone knows where this boat and the 84 load has landed??
lgalea
Aug 13th 2009, 08:58
Simon Cassar
Nies bhalek ghandna bzonn halli nkomplu nintlew bl-immigranti illegali.
C.ZARB
You are perfectly correct
Denis Catania
Totally agree with you
d. borg
Hope so.
Hope the mother will now not complain of lack of privacy at the illegal immigrants centre after giving birth in front of all the illegal immigrants on the boat.
g.c.Forte
Aug 13th 2009, 07:13
@ C.Zarb.....I agree with every thing you said,and if you follow how I write,regarding the imigrants,you find that I always attack "" the Eurpean countries that after they ruled the African countries and took most of their values, they left them without even tought them how to live in a civil and democratic life. We were just a little bit lucky because when we were under the U.K. one way or another, we manage to create a democratic island, even that we are small. Now, you did not answer my questions. A. What did we gave God MORE than that baby, so we are living in this country, without the need to escape to find our future ? B. Did that baby who is in the hands of that pilot, chose to be there himself ? Those were my arguments and not the history of the African and Maltese people.
Antoine Vella
Aug 13th 2009, 00:14
I'm glad this baby has come to Malta and I hope both it and its relatives settle here and contribute some new genes to our gene pool. Judging from some of the comments on this page it seems we've had far too much inbreeding and it's showing.
Pauline Thompson
Aug 12th 2009, 22:51
How about asking how are these people are arriving in Malta? Who is behind it all? Who is organizing their transportation out of their country? How much is it costing them? Sadly some pay with their own life as they don't make it to where ever their destination is meant to be - ie drowing at sea! The migrants are looking for a better place - that's all. Anyone living under the same conditions, being given a glint of hope will do exactly the same. So before being unkind to the migrants - think again. Also before passing judgement on the mother, Mr Catania, (ie for endangering her child's life) do you know what the circumstances where? I'm sure that the last thing this poor woman would have wanted was to be bobbing up and down in a boat sailing across the ocean!
C.ZARB
Aug 12th 2009, 22:49
Continued 3
Now Mr Forte is it wrong to preserve the little luxury our fathers had left for us, often by spreading their own blood and sweat? Is it fair that the smallest, the most overpopulated and probably the oldest colony ever has to carry a burden (illegal immigration) which it never created in the first place? I have nothing against saving boat people in times of distress. Yet no one can expect them to overstay in this country since it neither has the resources, nor the space to do so.
I feel sorry for that baby. I really do. Her ancestors haven't fought tyranny to give her a better place to live as our ancestors did. On the other hand the same people who had abused its land of origins for decades had trapped her in a land with very little future for her. Meanwhile life goes on, Malta and North Africa (also former colonies) will keep on carrying this unbearable burden which will become bigger by the day while our Northern European 'brothers' will keep on doing business with the same regimes that is keeping Africa on its knees.
Vince Abela
Aug 12th 2009, 22:48
Well done to the rescuers but can anybody tell us where the other migrants ended up ?
We only know 2 out of 84 has been rescued .
A Caruana
Aug 12th 2009, 22:29
may i add one thing please with all respect to human dignity. I understood perfectly what Mr.Forte was eluding to and read between the lines his short but meaningful comment.
Such babies are indeed innocent there is no doubt about that however did it ever pass through your minds why many a time women on such boats are pregnant? I mean traverse the sea when pregnant? Couldn't such events been kept on hold until the baby is born? It makes more sense. Didn't you ever find it strange or too much a coincidence that babies are born during such a voyage?What could be the catch????
Going past the trans-Atlantic in the mighty country of USA.... such innocent babies in such circumstances can be called an ANCHOR BABY.
According to Wikipedia this means (with reference to the US again) ....
"a child born of an immigrant in the United States, said to be a device by which a family can find legal foothold in the US, since those children are automatically allowed to choose American citizenship."
Guess everyone knows how to work out 1+1.
D.Portelli
Aug 12th 2009, 21:31
Where are the Immigrants now malta or in Italy.Cause it is not clearly said.If Malta,We should be granted towards our government for invading us with these African people and this mother and her child should be also sent to Italy if the immigrants are in Italy.
Denis Catania
Aug 12th 2009, 21:28
Stephen Forster says: Quite simply stupid and dangerous and an unfit mother.
Well said Stephen, but until the government start charging these people with criminal charges for endangering the welfare of a child/ fetus, they will continue using these children as tools and keep putting children in danger. Shame on anyone who condones such dangerous crossings from a safe port /country (Libya). We as a people need to speak out against such child abuse.
Jacqui Gatt
Aug 12th 2009, 20:42
@ C. ZARB
well said
Kenneth Galea
Aug 12th 2009, 20:41
What about rest of these illegals? Air lifted to Malta???? That is another illegality. Deport them back to Libya including the newly born baby. The mother and the baby have NO right to set foot in Malta or Italy.
These articles frustrate me and enrage me. How did these illegals manage to slip through the net then?? That is what we are interested in hearing and not the airlifting of the new born baby. We do NOT want anymore burden on us.
Michael Galea
Aug 12th 2009, 20:38
so ,a mother almost about to give birth...gets on a boat for a journey of 4 days and nights without food or shelter....cooooool
and your hearts go out to this...
d. borg
Aug 12th 2009, 20:32
These immigrants are really irrisponsible to make this journey when they are pregnant. No amount of excuses can justify their actions. I hope the rest of the immigrants are not heading towards Malta. We have more than enough mouths to feed already. Let's hope they are all sent back to Libya.
Denis Catania
Aug 12th 2009, 19:54
That baby is innocent but the mother should be charged with endangering the life of that innocent baby. Given the fact that she boarded that boat from a safe country {Libya}.
@Sandro Pace: If I could remember right he made that statement pre-election. Now that it's post-election, I doubt he will do what he said.
Alexander Morana
Aug 12th 2009, 18:45
49 migrants from Ghana repatriated......... Times of Malta.
84 on a boat making a steady speed northbound! Guess where they are coming?
What difference does it make what nationality the baby will have? Malta will get stuck with providing for all the days him and his mother will spent on the island.
And still Italy is sticking it to Malta. You save them you keep them! So much for burden sharing.
G. Attard
Aug 12th 2009, 17:40
@A. Vassallo,
the water was so perfectly still, why did you go and have to throw a stone in it! Calm down!!
lgalea
Aug 12th 2009, 17:25
Are they being evacuated to Malta or to Lampedusa which is much nearer to where the boat was?
Are they going to be allowed into Malta or is the boat going to be turned back towards Libya?
Why were the Libyans not called to take them back?
Gonzi the people are really getting FED UP with the ILLEGAL Immigrants and with your INACTION in keeping all illegal immigrants.
GET THEM ALL OUT OF MALTA NOW.
C.ZARB
Aug 12th 2009, 17:16
Continued
We have no moral debt towards Africa since we never colonised them in the first place. Quite contrary we are falling victim of two big forces. One is a powerful migration force who would rather take the easy way out and enter Europe illegally (where a shower of free perks is waiting for them) then impose a reform and win back their nation. The other one is the descendents of our former masters who had made us sign the Dublin convention which ensures that this migration force doesn't reach their lands EVER.
If you think again nothing had really changed isn't it? We are still expected to carry the problems of others.
C.ZARB
Aug 12th 2009, 17:04
Ill answer you Mr Forte.
We are nothing special Mr Forte. Our islands were a colony just like the African nations (well if you put it in years we had been a colony for around 2500 years).Our ancestors had been treated as third class citizens as the Africans where. They had fought the North European wars just as the Africans did and were given a pittance in exchange (we were given the mighty George Cross in fact). In matter of fact if you had to compare Malta with lets say Zimbabwe they are in a better situation then we are. I mean they got more space, their land is more fertile and unlike our land which is barren as can be, their land is rich of platinum, coal and chrome ore.
What divide us is less then 100 years of history. While their ancestors played the blame game and elected corrupt war lords who based their politics on race rather then good management. Our ancestors sticked to this barren island (apart those who left Malta through LEGAL means) and worked hard to offer their children (and I stress on word their) a better future.
Stephen Forster
Aug 12th 2009, 16:58
What is relevant is how a heavily pregnant women puts herself and her unborn child at risk by attempting such a trip..... Mexican women try this all the time to have the child born in the US.
Quite simply stupid and dangerous and an unfit mother.
Simon Cassar
Aug 12th 2009, 16:25
Why someone is mentioning the word guilty???? Guilty of what??
Kristu qalilna " Hobbu lil xulxin kif habbejtkom Jien"
Ma qalx jekk Malti (twieled Malta??!!!) hobbu, jekk le mela tista ma tatix kasu!!
Da x ragunar hu??? Imbaghad nghidu li ahna poplu nisrani u qieghdin fis sajf naghmlu l festi lil qaddisin!!! Viva dak u viva dik
Il-qaddisin imxew fuq l-ezempju ta Kristu u habbew lil kulhadd.
Steve Demicoli
Aug 12th 2009, 16:23
The 'search and rescue zone' is one thing and the issue of 'territorial waters' is a different thing altogether. Malta's search and rescue zone extends far beyond its territorial waters but that does not mean that whoever is sailing through there we are automatically obliged to bring into Malta! We are just responsible for the CO-ORDINATION of the search and rescue operations, not necessarily bringing them into Malta or even necessarily performing the rescue operations ourselves
Michael Vella
Aug 12th 2009, 16:17
@ A. Vassallo
Personally i see absolutely nothing wrong with G.C. Forte's question. I don't know the answer to his question but would be interested in knowing the answer. It is absolutely irrelevant as to who the baby's parents are, i would be interested in the answer even if this baby was born on a flight between Malta and the UK, again simply out of curiosity.
g.c.Forte
Aug 12th 2009, 16:16
@ ALL...............Hold your brakes, because all I wanted to know is just for curiosity. But speaking about innocent babies, I wish to ask a simple question. What did we gave God ,so we were born as the Maltese says " imniehirna fix xghir " or " zaqqna mimlija u naqaw u inqumu miz zaqq il vojta " * I didn`t say to bring all the suffering babies, my argument is that it wasn`t the baby who choses to be born in the middle of the water ( so my argument surely holds water )." I think"........ Besides do not forget how many innocent babies have been killed by Erodi ( subject to correction ) so " WE" will be saved and became Christians ???
Fenech M D
Aug 12th 2009, 16:09
Hope they are both fine (mother and child); my heart goes for them both especially the newborn, poor kid being exposed to the burning sun and the coldness of the night is not healthy for him/her.
Corinne Vella
Aug 12th 2009, 16:02
Karl Bugeja: Malta's search and rescue area extends far beyond its territory. Citizenship is not granted automatically, as you suggest.
Sandro Pace
Aug 12th 2009, 15:59
The important thing is whether the prime minister will keep his word and assist the boat to its intended destination, including refuelling and resupplying, as he said Malta will do.
H Dempster
Aug 12th 2009, 15:54
Of all the dirty tricks to put apregnant woman in a boat with the knowledge that the baby is due is a vile act putting at risk the mother and child. At the same time they used this method so that we Maltese have pity and bring them all in. Now that the mother and child are safe we should turn the rest back to the libyan shores.
Karl Bugeja
Aug 12th 2009, 15:45
@g.c.Forte
Maltese territory extends to 12 miles off the nearest coast of land. Im not shure how far out Libyan territorial waters extend to. If the boat was in international waters he'd be a citizen of whichever country the boat is registered to.
A. Vassallo
Aug 12th 2009, 15:45
@ g c Forte
If as you said, the new born baby is innocent, does it matter or make any difference to you if he/she is a Maltese citizen? Or are we to read between the lines?
Your question was certainly uncalled for.
Miguel Micallef
Aug 12th 2009, 15:37
The argument that babies are innocent doesn't hold much water since in that case we should go around all the babies that are suffering in the world and take care of them - something that maybe we should be doing, but aren't. So I don't understand the difference with this one. Also, if the baby is innocent, then so are the rest of the people on the boat.
In my opinion, there's no such thing as innocent or not innocent in this issue. They are either all innocent or all guilty.
Not saying we shouldn't help... but thought I'd mention it just for the sake of logical thinking, because it seems illogical to me to help ONLY those that make the news - this is probably done just for political reasons.
David Muscat
Aug 12th 2009, 15:30
No . One of the parents has to be a maltese citizen him/herself.
g.c.Forte
Aug 12th 2009, 15:20
Just for the sake of curiosity................By law, the baby will be a Maltese citizen ? Anyway he or she is innocent.