Turn back boat people like other countries

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.