Monday, 15th March 2010 - 12:02CET
Malta must leave Schengen arrangement - KMB
Malta must withdraw from the Schengen area immediately because the arrangement is nothing more than another form of colonialism, Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, chairman of the Campaign for National Independence, said today.
Referring to the Swiss decision to blacklist 188 top Libyans, and the Libyan retaliation of stopping all Schengen area visas, the former prime minister said this was yet another example of how Malta was back under the yoke of colonialism.
Malta, he said, was being forced to abide by decisions which were not in its national interest.
This blacklist had been in place for months, he said, but the Maltese government had not acted promptly to safeguard the national interest. Indeed, it even invited Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to come to Malta when it knew that that such a visit was not possible for as long as the blacklist remained in place.
The Schengen arrangement was flawed because the decision of just one country was binding on all the others, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said. As a result, hundreds of Maltese workers in Libya were living through tense times as their jobs were in danger.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici said it was obvious that Libya would retaliate to the Swiss blacklist, and had Malta been in the Libyan position, it would have done the same.
He insisted that Malta should revert to the pre-2004 position of allowing visa-free travel between Libya and Malta, a factor which would also boost tourism.
VIOLATION OF THE CONSTITUTION
Dr Mifsud Bonnici also criticised the government for the AFM's participation in EU and Nato-led military missions, the latest being plans for participation in the Somalia anti-piracy operation.
The Constitution laid down that Malta was neutral and non-aligned, he said, and those provisions had to be respected.
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Comments
When you run the country and Malta has left the EU and is standing proudly independent with closed borders and no foreign trade or tourism can my family and I share some of your last loaf of bread?
I agree with KMB with regards to "allowing visa-free travel between Libya and Malta". In addition, he also has a point with regards to tourism.
As A Dalli remarked correctly, Libyan people spend a lot of money in Malta.
So facilitating travel between our Island and Libya would benefit us Maltese in many ways.
He has a point about the Visas issue. Malta can and should allow visa-free travel between Libya and Malta. Granting a National Visa to Libyans is not enough ... and if we can and are doing this, why not removing the Visa completly.
"You can call it whatever you want, but it's still a military operation. Not that I'm against it".
Every operation by the military is by definition a military operation. But that's hardly the point, is it? Neutrality has nothing to do with the army stopping criminals. Neutrality is about states.
But I'm glad you do not oppose this military operation.
I think it's time for you to retire never to hear your polarized views again. Thanks.
To the other readers
On the other hand, I truly feel for all those innocent Maltese workers who earn a living from employment in Libya and for all their suffering, coming to mind a dear friend of mine. Malta should ignore the Swiss blacklist, after all Switzerland is not part of the EU, thus clearly shows that the Swiss are misusing the Schengen powers given to them. Shame....
You declare: ''Civilised people do NOT condone abuse/crime as committed by Gaddafi's son even if it's against our national interest.''
You are certainly entitled to your opinion but how are you so certain that Gaddafi's son really did what you are saying he did? Has he been tried and declared to be guilty?
Will you have Malta pit itself against this or that country? I suggest you don't let your words run away with you - because that is what you are doing unfortunately.
Our Foreign Ministry has enough on its hands as a result of the serious situation our leaders got us into when they blindly committed Malta to observe Schengen arrangements. Stop making their position even worse!
May I encourage you to grow up and always to put National Interests First and Foremost! What a fine mess we would be in if we were all to ''choose a fence and sit on it with everyone declaring their motivation and justifications!''
If you personally want to make a Human Rights point do so by all means but please learn to leave Diplomacy to Diplomats.
In his days, the only right thing KMB did was the transition between dictatorship to democracy - it is much better having what you call "EU dictatorship" than the "DM dictatorship" (you know what DM stands for). Today we laugh when we hear/see DM, since we now live in a democracy and we can speak the truth.
But now his days are over, he should retire from the scene and leave it to the present MPs to discuss political matters.
Civilised people do NOT condone abuse/crime as committed by Gaddafi's son even if it's against our national interest.
Are you ready to stand up and declare that a dictator's sons may abuse other human beings as long as Malta profits? Do you condone Gaddafi calling for "jihad" against Switzerland? Choose a fence and sit on it but declare your motivation and justifications.
How very true this is! The serious Visas problem with our neighbour Libya resulting from the Schengen arrangemnet should serve to show the dismal situation Malta unfortunately is in thanks to the rather shortsighted views that were adopted - and are possibly still being adopted - by our Foreign Ministry.
Another excruciating problem that is negatively affecting us Maltese results from the illegal immigration hotch potch we are in which is affecting not just our social fabric but also the national finance.
We need to admit it: the hands of our politicians are well and truly tied: they are reluctant - if not dowright unable - to put National Considerations first and foremost in this issue. They just keep mouthing E.U. agreements and commitments which they (or their close predecessors) were short-sighted enough to sign prior to E.U. annexation.
In the issue of illegal immigration also Malta is ''being forced to abide by decisions which are not in its national interest.'' Can Dr. Tonio Borg or anybody else deny that much?
Why does a pariah's sermon has to yet again divide the general public when the whole parliament showed unity!
It seems that you have not been following up with the current situation, There are thousands of Maltese jobs at risk and Millions of Euros of investment at stake so if you think that this is just to appease the Libyans I don't know which planet you have been on the last few weeks. And by the way, please try to leave out any political comments as this is in the country's interest, no matter which party says what.
Presently we are facing the illegal immigration problem and we all know that immigrants are coming from Libya. We are crying at the feet of our European counterparts for help on the issue.
So at one end we are asking our European counterparts for help and assistance but as yet when someone asks for our assistance we start blabbing that the national interest is at stake and worse still that we are being colonised!
Your incredibly intellectual comment has blown me away!!
Have you even considered that there are currently families with relatives trapped in Libya with little hope of returning to Malta soon for fear of not being able to return for work or families not earning any income because their relatives are not able to go back to their employment?
Apparently not.
The fact is simple, the Schengen agreement has dragged Malta into an international blunder and KMB may have a point.
Only to appease the Libyans?!?!
Seems that neither you nor any member of your family is in danger of losing his job in Libya.
Lybia = dictatorial regime
Schengen = Free travelling through Europe --> increased tourism --> increased economical performance.
Dear Mr. Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici,
how much did Lybia pay you for such an ill-considered statement? As far as I know is the majority of tourists from Great Britain, Germany and other European members. The majority of the Maltese people travels in exactly those countries.
If you can arrange working with an dictatorial regime, that calls for a holy war against Switzerland, then you should consider to take a lection in history and look at the reality.
Regards.