Paying illegal immigrants to return to their homes may be a solution

I believe that there are persons who think that we have the immigrant situation under control.

But most of us have long ago given up any hope of ever seeing the back of these 9,000 illegal immigrants who have more or less settled in Malta, and who soon might be integrated into our society, with the probability of eventually being supplied with Maltese passports.

In a few years' time their numbers will swell to over 20,000 bodies, making them a large-enough force to bully the government in order to obtain more and more rights for their community to the detriment of us Maltese.

Most of these immigrants belong to an aggressive religion, and while personally I do not have a problem with living with people of a different religion to mine, I do have a slight aversion to eventually being told what to do by people who were not born in our islands.

If anyone had any hope of a real burden-sharing exercise with our so-called friends - the EU countries - I think that one should have given that hope up ages ago. Three years of talk have resulted in no action being taken. What makes us think that three more years of talk will get us anywhere?

Therefore we must look after our country and do our utmost to solve this problem. If necessary we must break rules. If we pay these illegal immigrants a sum of money and send them home we will not be the first country to do so. It will be cheaper for us than keeping them here.

Britain is paying illegal immigrants in Calais £1,700 in order for them to return home and not enter Britain. The British Home Office already funds payments worth £4,000 for immigrants living in the UK who agree to return home.

With this money these people could start a small business in their country.

It is true that France is taking on some of our illegal immigrants but while we thank the French nation, it must be realised that this is just a drop in the ocean. In the meantime about 200 immigrants have arrived in Malta this year, while immigrant children are being born daily, thus increasing their number.

It must be realised that these illegal immigrants are costing us taxpayers, millions of euros annually. They are receiving social benefits including weekly cheques from our government while there are over 50,000 Maltese people living below the poverty line who desperately need help.