Christian Peregin
New incentive to help immigrants return home
"Many migrants realise the streets are not paved with gold. Instead they might have to end up paving the roads themselves". Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi.
Illegal immigrants who opt to return to their home countries voluntarily will be offered more preparation before they start afresh under a new programme launched by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Justice Ministry.
Following the pilot project Dar, through which some immigrants were given €5,000 each to set up a business in their home countries, a more refined programme has now been launched called Restart. This will offer them less money, but better preparation.
Peter Schatzer, who is in charge of Mediterranean issues within IOM, told The Sunday Times: "It is not enough to give them a plane ticket and a sum of money. They need to be reintegrated,"
Through this project the immigrants will receive just €200 in cash. The rest (€2,200) will go into an account managed by the IOM, and will either go towards education or to help them set up a business.
Mr Schatzer said that voluntary return had proved to be the most cost-effective way of dealing with immigrants, compared with keeping them in centres or forcibly sending them home.
The problem with forced return is that it requires a chartered flight and two policemen per migrant. It is also more difficult to find cooperation with countries of origin compared with voluntary return.
One of the problems with the Foreign Affairs Ministry-managed Dar project was that migrants' spending could not be monitored once they returned home.
Mr Schatzer pointed out that with the new project there was less chance of the programme being seen as a pull-factor for immigration, even though he does not believe immigrants would ever choose to leave their countries and risk their lives for the off-chance to get a €5,000 cheque.
"Many migrants are pushed to leave their countries for economic reasons - and this project applies to them. We cannot send someone back if their country is war-torn or if they will be persecuted."
However, many immigrants go to Europe for economic reasons and since they do not qualify for protection they end up in dire situations.
"Many migrants realise the streets are not paved with gold. Instead they might have to end up paving the roads themselves," he said.
When migrants realise this, many may be persuaded to return voluntarily.
The Restart project already has a number of success stories from all over the world, including migrants who left Malta.
They have managed to set up various businesses ranging from pharmacies to beauty salons, while others have managed to obtain professional skills enabling them to become teachers or architects, among others.
Twenty-five immigrants living in Malta, together with their families, have already benefitted from the project and next year the aim is to place 100 people on the programme.
The money for the project comes mostly from the EU (80 per cent), while the rest is sponsored by the government. The project is managed by IOM, which has over 140 offices in more than 60 countries and can therefore monitor the success of each person.
"We hope we can alleviate some of the consequences of a very difficult situation for the authorities, migrants and locals. We now know you can win or lose elections because of the migration issue, so we need to devise policies that will not destabilise democracies," he said.
"Malta is in a particular situation. You cannot just say: apply everything like everyone else does. In this case, size does matter."
He added, however, that a zero-immigration policy did not make sense, because the labour markets in Europe, including Malta, required a certain number of immigrant workers.
However, this shouldn't be managed by smugglers, and like America and Canada, Europe needs to be in a position to find a legal way of facilitating immigration.
"Some migrants need to return voluntarily, others can be relocated to other EU or non-EU countries, and some, yes, will stay and find a job. That's not a popular thing to say but we have to learn to accept it."
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Warren Magro
Nov 9th 2009, 15:16
@ Mr Schatzer "he does not believe immigrants would ever choose to leave their countries and risk their lives for the off-chance to get a €5,000 cheque" Are you insaine. With what I earn from a full time job and a part time job in Malta, flying out to Lybia and returning on a boat on open seas to earn €5,000 sounds like a realistic and tempting plan to me. Let alone to someone whom €5,000 has the spending power in their country of around €50,000 compared to here. And when these people return back home after a few months with a business fully paid for, do you think this is not going to be an incentive for others to come here?
Michael Neville Cassar
Nov 9th 2009, 09:34
Only last night on Reality TV I saw a program called boarder control immegration officers knocking on doors and picking up illegal persons, such as students that never attended school for 6 months and sent back to his country. Over here we keep hosting them. We are told to learn to accept it , the majority of the Maltese have already expressed their views, that Malta cannot keep these people. We are being drag to a no-way-out situation and this is no more than a betrayal to our culture and independence by those by a few irresponsible persons.
Cecil Herbert Jones
Nov 9th 2009, 03:42
@Eddie Dimech
Nobody wants them here, but a few don't want them here. The rest don't mind them here.
The EU should help us more, in fact they should handle this situation from A to Z, which includes monitoring its territorial borders. Its true that the EU is made up of its member States but these are there to give contribution to the Union and in return receive the protection they need. They, we, cannot be asked to handle a situation such as human migration from Africa because it is not in the job description outlined by our accession.
The idea of giving migrants a financial grant must apply to the several millions residing illegally in the EU. The cost of this exercise must be astronomical. What's the Master Plan? If there is none then it's a waste of a lot of money.
The EU has merely given directives so far and avoided being present to witness the problem. It should be here in Malta speaking up so everyone can hear. Communicating through its hierarchic structure is not enough!
Sander Depasqulae
Nov 9th 2009, 00:12
If work one works a whole day at one's country of origin one will earn €1 a day.
If one will cross the meditteranean one will earn €10 a day for doing nothing!!!!
What would you do????
Human rights my foot!!!! Economics rule the day!!!!
Cecil Herbert Jones
Nov 8th 2009, 19:17
@Louise Vella
Italy did it once and haven't done it since, because the EU told Maroni not to repeat it. The EU believes that asylum seekers should be given a chance to be heard. Instant repatriation therefore doesn't work in this instance. Malta is simply abiding by EU directives.
However the problem isn't being cured properly, at least not for Malta's case. There are over a million migrants working in Libya in the black to save money for the boat trip. I ask, 'If they could all simultaneously make one big step towards Europe would they?' I say they would. Are we prepared for this possible eventuality? No we're not. If we were, heaven forbid, to face such a human tsunami from Africa we'd better have a way so it flows right past us!
Andrea Portelli
Nov 8th 2009, 19:04
Haha what a pathetic government.
Actually telling illegal foreigners to leave a country they illegally settled in.
No incentives, No Money. Ship them on the same boats they came on.
End of discussion.
Louis Gialanze
Nov 8th 2009, 18:51
It must be so very convenient for Miss Richards to forget that Africa accounts for 21 per cent of the world's land mass most of which is conflict free and enjoy a stable government. Furthermore, she ought to keep in mind that our leaders sold their souls to the EU whilst the latter now wants to engineer the social demographics of this country.
John Azzopardi
Nov 8th 2009, 18:12
Margerat Richards, these people are living in Libya among fellow muslims and they being welcomed as guest in Libya. I would rather have us give our money to those poor women who were raped by their fellow man in Africa and the starving children, not those freeloaders who are coming to Malta. So please save it and stop getting hysterical. The need is to help the poor in Africa where the need is very dire. The EU thinks that by accepting illegal immigrants, they are helping Africa. No sir i. Their duty is to help the straving people of Africa and it's their duty to do so.
T.gauci
Nov 8th 2009, 18:01
@Margaret Richards
id fight for my freedom instead of run away like a coward and lump my problems on other people. regarding Libya..that's a gross lie, these immigrants make years work in Libya and pay the traffickers to cross over here and also is gaddafi's plan to make Europe a Muslim continent. the traffickers should be put in prison so not 1 immigrant would think to come here ILLEGALLY Ms.Richards human trafficking is a hideous crime!.
You just want illegal immigrants to make Malta a multi cultural country not because you care about the individual. not a single excuse will validate your plan for multi culture. move to another country where multi culture is accomplished and you'll see how you would be treated after the other dominating culture takes over in a few years. multi culture will die once the rapid culture takes over, who will be left to defend your rights then ? answer me Ms.Richards!
Eddy Dimech
Nov 8th 2009, 13:55
@Margaret Richatds
Please do not let your over emotional outburst cloud the real issue.These people on the whole are fleeing nothing of the sort that you describe. They are freeloaders who have passed through several safe countries and have constant contact with other freeloaders already her.Only treasoness politicians and blind fools want them here.
Chris Borg
Nov 8th 2009, 13:46
@ Margaret Richards
This is Malta and what Louise Vella has just written is the view of the vast majority of the Maltese people. Have YOU experienced any of the situations you just mentioned? I'd bet on no. If you have read the article you would realize that the article is talking mainly about economic illegal immigrants, and not refugees who deserve protection. There are enough poor people in Malta living from paycheck to paycheck without us having to fund the lifestyle for layabouts! The cheek of some people. Third of all, although not applicable in this particular comment - stop bringing the subject of religion into it. That pointless argument just doesn't hold water. "Ghin ruhek biex Alla jghinek", jghid il-Malti. God bless you.
Eric Soames
Nov 8th 2009, 12:13
I agree with Louise Vella. One can't leave the front door wide open and expect others to come help you dispose of the interlopers. Shut the door!!
Anthony Falzon
Nov 8th 2009, 11:25
So some of these illegal immigrants when given our money from our taxes, on going back to their country have set up a beuty parlor......but if they come from such poor countries who the hell can afford to spend money in a beauty parlor....NGOs and the rest....you are being taken for a ride, wake up please.
Chris Borg
Nov 8th 2009, 10:53
Look at the state this government has got our country in. Begging to get the illegal immigrants off the street! What a joke and what a way to run a country. Just send them back if they don't qualify - simple. We do not owe them anything at all!
Margaret Richards
Nov 8th 2009, 10:41
What is it? Does Ms. Vella not know what it means to be on a boat on open sea after being tortured in your country of maimed by militia, then put in prison and tortured in Libya then paying the traffickers every single penny you got only to be sent back thru' lack of humanitarian views. It seems that Ms. Vella does not know what it means to be living in Darfur, Eritrea, Somalia, Congo - what if she were living there?? I am sure she would do exactly the same things these people are doing if not worse. I would definitely do same thing. What would you do if you were put in prison just because your government is against your religion, or because your house is just under a tree in the middle of nowhere or where ricocheting bullets, militia & warlords robbing and killing at random as there is no government is the order of the day? Please do not play the hero and say that you'll stay there - I definitely won't!!!
David Portelli
Nov 8th 2009, 10:27
I totally agree with louise Vella,and also we have to consider something else,altough this system maybe, helps to repatriate Immigrants,but still we are not Stopping Illegal Immigration.
We are helping Illegal Immigrants in a way to attract more to come.Cause now if they get a Status or Not it's still gonna be worthed for them to cross the mediterrenean.
Our Prime Minister and Government for ONCE should stop licking the boots of the NGO's,and all these local and International groups and listen to what the Maltese people are feeling,what we want.
Anton Vella
Nov 8th 2009, 10:23
All this money showered on ILLEGAL ECONOMIC immigrants should be used to finance INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION in the countries of origin instead. I, for one, am sick and tired of hearing about youth centres closing down and people unable to pay for their medicine. Gonzi, aghmilli grandissimu pjacir, u ghal darba ahseb farka fil-Maltin l-ewwel, or are you after the vote of the illegals?
Joanne Micallef
Nov 8th 2009, 10:18
Whilst I applaud the effort common sense tells me that since the incoming numbers will surely always be much higher than the ones leaving, this will do little to alleviate our burden.
Our only hope is for the EU to negotiate opening reception centers in various parts of the stable African countries where asylum applications can be processed so ONLY those eligible for asylum will make it through to Europe.
Ludwig Flask
Nov 8th 2009, 10:02
@ louise vella: I fully comply with your comments!
louise vella
Nov 8th 2009, 09:05
Prevention is better than cure. Instead of concocting new, and mostly ineffective ways of persuading illegal immigrants to go back to their countries, the government had better prevent them from coming here in the first place. We need a strong coastguard to dissuade the boats from approaching Malta and if necessary turn them back to where they have come from. Australia and Italy do it. Why not Malta? Why should Malta be the only country whose policies are dictated by do-gooder NGOs?