Wednesday, 18th November 2009 - 16:05CET
Britain to take 10 refugees from Malta
Britain is to take ten migrants from Malta as part of the EU's pilot project for the resettlement of refugees.
The decision was communicated to the Maltese government today.
"The UK's participation in the pilot project will form part of a comprehensive package of assistance to Malta, which will include programmes intended to address the flow of illegal immigrants to the central Mediterranean in the long term, including assistance in returning failed asylum seekers and obtaining the documents required to facilitate such returns," the government said in a statement.
The Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, Carm Mifsud Bonnici, expressed his satisfaction that the United Kingdom was joining other countries including France, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia in taking positive steps to assist Malta in the face of the exceptional pressures that the migratory flow from Africa to Europe was exerting on Malta.
"Malta has consistently and relentlessly argued that it should not be left to face the pressures of illegal immigration from Africa alone because this is a European problem," he said.
" The Pact for Immigration and Asylum, which was approved last year addressed this issue tangibly by laying down the need for effective voluntary burden-sharing mechanisms to assist those European Union members which were facing disproportionate pressures from illegal immigration."
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Comments
We should opt out from that deal ASAP and if it means we have to get out from the EU because of such action, so be it.
There are a few Maltese around our way and we all get on. My Maltese wife has been very sucessful in the UK and always been treated with warmth. Maltese need to understand that the UK is full up and that the population of the UK is unsustainable according to recent reports.
All EU countries will burden share, but the main problem here, is Malta's inability to make good with gaddafi - make friends again. He is awash with petro dollars!
I know this sounds bad. It is good that countries are offering to take some illegal immigrants and we thank them for the help, but I think this is just fuelling their needs to try and come more to Malta or Italy. We need to stop this from the bud, and not encourage them.
I think 10 is a bit too much for the whole UK. Maybe we better send 2 or 1 only. We don't want to be responsible of a crisis in the UK, do we?
I think the govt should really be happy about this. Must have been a lot of hard work for all involved. I mean this is not just an examplanary decision, this was taken to help Malta in this big problem we are facing.
I propose that tomorrow is called a day off from work for all Maltese of good intentions to celebrate together at this great news.
For all those like joe cassar who do not know how to count, look at your fingers ...thats 10!
Simple........IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE BURDEN SHARING (though I do not agree with it). Yes, I agree, it is best to stop them before they arrive, but is there political will to do so?
That's all I have to say
Just a few days ago, Gordon Brown speaking in Ealing unveiled plans to drastically reduce immigration and immigrants' rights in the UK.
The fact that a country which is very strict on immigration will assisting Malta is a feather in the Minister's cap, regardless of the small number that the UK will be taking. And the assistance that the UK will be giving in obtaining documentation for failed asylum seekers will turn out to be valuable to repatriate them.
So now there are 5 countries. If each takes 10 a year that means 50 a year. Then there is the USA which takes around 200 yearly (funnily enough this is not in the EU... and resettles more.... anyway...). If the influx is around a 1000 a year (excluding any births)..... can someone work out the date when this island will be in a better position?