Swiss visas blacklist may be bypassed

Aldo Gatt

Mar 17th 2010, 12:03

@wally vella-zarb

It either is possible or it isn't. I can't see how they could have done it on a purely individual basis when they are part of this agreement. I can't believe you're all falling over backwards for a person with such a history.

wally vella-zarb

Mar 14th 2010, 19:10

@ Aldo Gatt

That is why the other states within the Shengen Agreement (not only little Malta) are saying that Switzerland has abused the free-borders system. Had they declared the persons involved 'Persona non Grata' on an individual basis, that would have had effect ONLY on their territory - as is their sovereign right - BUT not on the territories of other members of Shengen. These other states had no issues to deal with regarding those persons. The Swiss had all the legal means to prevent entry of undesirables into their territory without involving third parties.

Aldo Gatt

Mar 14th 2010, 17:10

@wally vella-zarb. Am I not right in assuming that in a Schengen area you cannot simply limit a ban to a country?

wally vella-zarb

Mar 14th 2010, 14:52

@ Aldo Gatt

When a diplomat abuses his immunity, it is not uncommon for the host government to declare him 'Persona non grata' and to expel him from its territory. Even we have invoked this course of action in the past, as have other, bigger, states. This is what Switzerland could have done instead of abusing its privileges under the Shengen Agreement, thereby unethically and unnecessarily involving all the other members who had nothing to do with the alleged incidents, If you are bothered by a mosquito you use a simple fly-swatter; you don't blast the entire building to smithereens.

sandro pace

Mar 14th 2010, 14:40

If that is the course of action that the Maltese government is considering, then it might well do it sooner rather than waste more time discussing and meeting. The Italians are not caring much as their citizens are going through anyhow due to a bilateral agreement. Probably same also for the French. The British wisely opted out of Schengen.

EU obligations are working against us in a very blatant and discriminatory manner and this is no time for further government lingering. Neither shall the government waste time in any bureuacratic or legal procedures. All it has to do is declare that no person on that list constitute a security threat to our country and Malta will unilaterally ignore the list. It shall show this in practice by going ahead with the planned visit by the Libyan leader, which was announced prior to this crisis, and fix a date.

This may not go down well with our friendly Alpine country, and this is most unfortunate, but for some of our citizens, it is a question of survivability. And in such a case, non-sense schengen obligations are not an option. Sorry.

Jason Spiteri

Mar 14th 2010, 13:51

Italians in, Europeans out.

And people here still think it's about 'schengen rules' or 'Swiss hard-headedness'.

Switzerland is the country that's fighting for the laws protecting the most ordinary of their citizens not to get trampled on by Muslim fanatics who think the power accorded to them by their feudal system of government.

Eric Gahn

Mar 14th 2010, 13:37

So is this the end of Schengen or does it only mean that Switzerland is being ostracized?

I think Stephen Rizzo is on to something with his post.

M cassar

Mar 14th 2010, 12:25

E.Ciantar they deposited the money in Italy France and Spain. Malta is not even considered as a country by Libya in my opinion so I'm not surprised they didn't even consider, in fact everything up till now has shown the complete disregard of Malta and Maltese people which were highlighted during this saga.

Stephen Rizzo

Mar 14th 2010, 10:54

Skuzawni pero ma naqbilx ma whud minnkom. Huwa ta dispjacir li hawn min qed jitlef il-flus minhabba din is-sitwazzjoni. Pero nahseb hemm raguni ghaliex l-Izvizzera qieghed zzomm il-punt taghha. Biex taghmlu paragun bejn gvern demokratikament Zvizzeru u gvern dittatur Libjan inhalli f'idejkom. Anki biex tqabblu s-serjeta tal-policies governattivi taz-zewg pajjizi nhalli f'idejkom. Il-Libja jaghmlu l-arja ghax ghandhom biex imma d-dinja ma timxix bl-arja u l-arditagni. Naqbel mal-Izvizzeri li jzommu l-punt taghhom. Araw is-sitwazzjoni fil-Golf ta' Aden (Somalja) fejn hemm piraterija rampanti. Lil dan-nies ma waqfulhomx fil-bidu, anzi hallsu r-rahan ta' meta hatfuhom u issa....ghadhom u jibqghu jahtu l-vapuri.

Sitwazzjoni delikata hafna ghax ghal Malta l-Libja tfisser hafna iktar milli ghal-Libja tfisser Malta (bhala kummerc). Pero s-soluzzjoni trid tittiehed fi hdan qafas legali....avolja ghandi dubju kemm dan-nies jonoraw il-ligi, ghax hanzir taqghtalu denbu hanzir jibqa'.

victor vella

Mar 14th 2010, 10:37

What I cannot understand is this, and I would consider it a favour to be enlightened.
So Malts can issue a ban on Barack Obama and he would not be able to visit any country in the schengen area, am I right? or the Pope for that matter.
Did the swiss consult anyone about this,

reno calleja

Mar 14th 2010, 10:37

as I urged in my radio programm (Fuq ras il-Musmar) last Friday night, the Government should use Dr. Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici to persuade the Libyans to make an eception where Malta is concerned.
Karmenu is adored in Libya because he saved the life of Col Ghadaf, when as Prime Minister, he warned him that U.S. bombers sent by the late President Reagan were approacching Libya. The raid killed his lO year daughter and Ghadafi escaped by minutes. He never forgot this and I am absolutely convinced that if KMB will speak to the Libyans, they would listen.
Let the P.N. Government, who used to vilify KMB so much and call him a ZERO , swallow its pride and KMB to intervene.
This is for good of Malta.
reno calleja

John Mac Millan

Mar 14th 2010, 09:29

Presently working in Libya, and have been for nearly 20 years now, Libya is one of the safest countries to work in, of the North African countries, You can understand what Libya is doing, but Switzerland has to also understand, what they are doing is financially crippling the average working man, may be Europe should fine Switzerland to compensate all the people who have been hurt, by Switzerlands action, and then show Libya, that Malta and the rest of the Eurpean countries, we actually do some thing, time for no more talking, action is what is required,
John Mac Millan

g.c.Forte

Mar 14th 2010, 09:23

Come on Tonio.........Show us that the Schengen treaty was a " froga " .Take us out now, and do not think of going in again. Do not worry, we are not going to call it a " U " turn. We call it " O " turn. Maltese employers have been losing money, for more than one month now, and as I heard that they will be lucky to have their jobs back.

Peter Paul Borg

Mar 14th 2010, 09:19

This ordeal is thanks to Switzerland's lack of consideration for other Schengen member states.

Libya has always compensated citizens worldwide when, due to its actions, people were negatively affected.

Is Switzerland going to follow suit and compensate the thousands of people and their families, who through no fault of their own, were negatively affected, both psychologically and financially, through this episode?????

Aldo Gatt

Mar 14th 2010, 09:17

Next time a Maltese citizen is assaulted by someone with diplomatic immunity, there will be no one to stand up for you. There have been many incidents involving Hannibal Gaddafi involved in aggressive behaviour, in London Claridge's hotel, in Geneva and several in Paris.

t. borg

Mar 14th 2010, 08:19

very easy malta can issue visas heading MALTA-SWITZERLAND instead of SCHENGEN STATES. i do not know what this fuss is about.

E.Ciantar

Mar 14th 2010, 08:11

It had been reported in the international media that Libya had withdrawn several billion dollars from Swiss banks. Where has Libya deposited that money? Can someone do something so that we get a small share of it. We now have a strong financial system that can put Libya's deposits to good use.

albert cachia

Mar 14th 2010, 07:57

About time.
MALTA should been the first to act 25 days ago

A. E. Abela

Mar 14th 2010, 07:40

For once I cannot agree more with the minister and the opposition leader. Why isn't this same patriotic stance applied with regards to the illegal invading problem?

Peter Carabott

Mar 14th 2010, 07:21

That is good. I cannot understand how the EU could let a country (Switzerland) that is not even an EU member to do what they are doing ... conditioning other countries with their silly hard headedness. It is not fair that so many Maltese persons and companies are suffering because of this issue.