Saturday, 7th November 2009

Turn back boat people like other countries

Reuben Bonello, Rabat

I am astonished that two intelligent ministers, Tonio Borg and Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, are still obsessed with burden sharing as a solution to illegal immigration. This has been a flop and will continue to be a flop because big nations like Spain, Italy, Germany, Britain and the Nordic countries want to get rid of them and not take thousands from tiny, overpopulated Malta whose unemployment problem is getting worse.

The same can be said about the Frontex agreement, which even the EU has considered a flop.

Simon Busuttil's good speeches in Strasburg have obtained nothing but broken promises.

The Dublin II Convention has not been amended and Malta is still obliged to pick up boat people. What can be done?

As members of the Partnership for Peace, we should request a helicopter and frigate to patrol the Malta area and, as soon as these boats approach, we should turn them back as Australia and Italy are doing.

A mass meeting of all political parties should be held to show the UN and EU that Malta is full and is fed up of being abandoned, except for broken promises of help.

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Article © Allied Newspapers Ltd., printed on Sunday, November 22, 2009. This article is for personal use only, and should not be distributed.

Comments

Brian Darmanin (2 weeks ago)

The original idea of the EU when it was the EEC was "one for all and all for one", just like the Musketeers. However over the years this ideology has been changed and twisted to suit the more powerful members of this "union". Just like in George Orwell's Animal Farm.

The EU was touted as being the best thing for tiny Malta where this small island and its peace-loving people would get and equal voice in the running of this continent. If Italy is legally sanctioned to turn back boat people, then so should Malta. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. If Italy, Spain, France, Germany and all the rest have no more space for them, then much less so has Malta. I say TURN THEM BACK and to hell with the consequences. What is the worst the EU can do? Kick us out? I would be the first to say THANK YOU!

One last thing, the reason for all the cliches......... it's the only language that politicians understand.

Joseph Ellul - Sydney (2 weeks ago)

Love them or hate them, all illigal economic immigrants are a burden on any nation , let alone a small island like Malta with no natural resources. These immigrants can be white, black or green, so it is not a matter of color but of self sustenance. I do support the idea to limit the number of these kind of immigrants as the more you get the less quality of life the previous ones get. So, please, remove all of those who are economic immigrants and stop any more from entering the islands.

Kurt Mifsud (2 weeks ago)

@Joanne Pace - I'm not a god fearing thing, none of that for sure. Anyway I get your point and I understand. I know the European civilization to which we belong has turned these black people into slaves, stole everything from them, deprived them from education, etc etc (long list). But the point here is that we're the first land they find and it's not fair that we should carry all the burden. The other EU countries don't want to help, so let's make them help. If we take some harsh decisions I'm sure they will start moaning and then we'll see who's REALLY willing to do something. Of course there will be some human sacrifices, but that's what has to be done in order to save the rest

lgalea (2 weeks, 1 day ago)

joanne pace
You should be ashamed of yourself for betraying your people and your country.
If you want to help them then go to their own countries and help them there.

joanne pace (2 weeks, 1 day ago)

MY goodness you are all a God fearing lot , all living in your little world, all afraid of the thin black men and women and kids, who dare come to God fearing catholic or mainly christian Malta, running from horrific war torn countries, I Would rather send away some very uncouth maltese, some of these little black diseased people are so polite and gentle we maltese should be ashamed,

Joseph Calleja (2 weeks, 1 day ago)

How come it's OK for Italy to turn these illegals back to where they came from, but it's not OK for Malta to do the same? Maybe the feeble backbone of our government, or the power of the NGO's over the government. Unemployment is on the rise and so are the cost of electricity and gas. Who is going to fork out the bill for these illegals to be able to use these utilities? Not the illegals, because they have no money, so that leaves the tax payers of Malta to subsidize this injustice. I think Adriano Spiteri makes a good point in his comment. Stop this invasion, now.

Charles Sammut (2 weeks, 1 day ago)

What is wrong with using the veto? The USA uses it every time the UN security council passes a resolution condemning Isreal for its adventures in Palestine.

But I think that the PL leader's idea of using the veto does not hold water any longer. That will go out of the window with the Lisbon Treaty for which both the PN and the PL voted unanimously. L-aqwa li ghandna is-sitt siggu x'insahhnu fi Brussell!

Gerard Cassar (2 weeks, 1 day ago)

The "turn back from where you came" is also practised in Australia by the government not supported by UNHCR. And apparently have plenty of money. However only those with permits are allowed in.
Comment received from a relative living down under.

louise vella (2 weeks, 1 day ago)

I fully agree with the author of this letter. Nobody, none of the do-gooders have ever told us how many thousands of illegal immigrants they want Malta to accept. This means they want us to accept an unlimited number of them. Australia, a huge country, has set us all the right example by turning back the boats. Italy has followed. Illegal immigrants to Spain have been drastically reduced when Spain took drastic measures to keep them out.

The Maltese government is the only one which proudly accepts its so-called religious obligations to take huge numbers of illegal immigrants, even though the vast majority of the common people of these islands have had enough and want to get rid of them. This is a national problem and as the author of this letter says, we need to tackle it nationally and not on a partisan basis. Let's hold a referendum and we'll see how many people will vote in favour of accepting more illegal immigrants!

Kurt Mifsud (2 weeks, 1 day ago)

The solution is use the VETO. Time will come when the prime minister will once again realise that Dr Muscat was right about this. It's not nice to use the veto but it's even worse sitting there and doing nothing like other countries are doing to us. The country should be unified on this one at least!

Adriano Spiteri (2 weeks, 1 day ago)

Mr Bonello is right in pointing that burden sharing has failed. However it was Simon Busuttil who insisted on burden sharing. Tonio and Carmelo bcked him. That was the worst misake.

Burden sharing is an infantile dream. We cannot send these people to Europe neither. If we do, do not complain about decisions bannng the crucifix then.

So far onl Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando got it right. Send them back on the boats they came on. The Jesuits state that some of them are engineers, doctors, lawyers, nurses, architects... their homeland is thirsty for people of that calibre. Send them back - the Jesuits with them if need be.

Turn back boat people like other countries

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