Maltese, Libyan boats share rescued migrants
Maltese and Libyan patrol boats shared out 55 migrants found on a dinghy some 44 miles south of Malta yesterday.
28 migrants, including a baby, were brought to Malta at 4 a.m. this morning by AFM patrol boat P-52 while another 27 were taken from the sinking dinghy to a Libyan vessel which intercepted the migrants at the same time as the Maltese patrol craft.
The migrants brought to Malta were 22 men, five women and the baby. They were the first migrant arrivals this year.
The baby along with the mother were taken to Mater Dei Hospital.
The AFM said the boat was heading North and taking in water when its Rescue and Coordination Centre (RCC) received a distress call yesterday morning.
RCC Malta managed to get in touch with the illegal immigrants onboard their boat, in an effort to assess their situation. By yesterday afternoon, an AFM Islander aircraft located the illegal migrants who were on a large rubber dinghy.
Concurrent to these rescue efforts, Libyan authorities also dispatched a launch to assist the illegal immigrants. Subsequently, both P-52 and a Libyan rescue-launch reached the rubber-dinghy. 28 migrants were then transferred to the Maltese patrol and 27 to the Libyan launch.
A total of 1,475 migrants arrived in Malta last year, but arrivals dropped off after Italy reached a repatriation agreement with Libya to immediately send back migrants. Migrants who land in Malta would normally be on their way to Italy and arrive here by mistake. There had been a number of migrant arrivals in Sicily in the past few weeks.
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Sean Grima
Jul 20th 2010, 11:22
According to joe xuereb, african men do nothing but lounge around! from the length and number of his comments, and following his 'logic', one is to conclude that he is african!
Mary Ann Borg
Jul 20th 2010, 19:42
I have been following all your replies/observations/comments on the subject here. Could you please enlighten all those you call/perceive/assume are racists exactly how many illegal immigrants you are presently hosting at your own place? Then you may start be taken seriously. Read today's Times and note yet another incident where the magistrate even had to go as far as order the Police to commence a perjury case against two illegal immigrants. I'm sure these two individuals are one prime, fine example of why we should all be at the beaches and receive all illegal immigrants with arms wide open as they make their escape from their own countries.
Sean Grima
Jul 21st 2010, 10:42
rather, perhaps you can explain the logic (or lack of logic) behind your reasoning that if two illegal immigrants are ACCUSED of committing perjury (meaning that they are presumed innocent until proven guilty), then all immigrants are involved in illegality?
Joe Xuereb
Jul 19th 2010, 22:33
@ A.Bezzina. Bully for you and your resource that I don't have, wouldn't have, don't want. I am thinking, of course of your first and last resort, the prayer to the Lord. He who takes care of everything. If the Lord was grateful to his children on Malta he would have made it many thousands of square miles bigger, with mountains and rivers full of sweet flowing water and luscious fruits. He would have inspired a unique football team that brought home the World Cup (instead he gives this bounty to Spain, a Catholic country that allows divorce and same-sex partnerships). He would have endowed it with enough natural abundance for it to sustain any number of immigrants, legal and otherwise. But he didn't do any of this Bezzina. Methinks he is too busy rewarding undeserving countries. Or he wants ever more from the Maltese who are short on resources and commonsense and the ability to help themselves. He is, in other words, a hard taskmaster. Instead they moan and blame their ills on something else, some other. As in gemgem.
Sean Grima
Jul 21st 2010, 10:47
LOL, so the good Lord has nothing better to do than think to whom He will be assigning the World Cup.
Sean Grima
Jul 19th 2010, 14:24
a lot of people just jot down the first thoughts which come to their mind, usually motivated by their dislike of black people (a dislike I fail to understand on any logical ground, but to which they are entitled) without considering that other people have legal rights too.
Elaine Compagno
Jul 19th 2010, 19:02
My best friend is a black african woman.
So there goes your theory.
S Agius
Jul 19th 2010, 19:21
Are you for real ? No one said anything about skin colour in the below comments. What they are saying is that the most densely populated island in the Mediterranean cannot cope with the large number of illeal immigrants that are already here let alone if they keep coming. There over 2 million illegal immigrants that want to cross to Europe. The only way to stop them is by accepting none.
Sean Grima
Jul 20th 2010, 11:17
lol did you make a head count? only a drop of the millions of immigrants would come to malta!
S Agius
Jul 20th 2010, 15:10
@ Sean Grima - if instead of being so naive you searched the internet you would know that two million is a very conservative estimate. Also if just 10per cent of them land here that would mean half of the Maltese Islands population. That is the drop you are laughing about.
Sean Grima
Jul 21st 2010, 10:44
your assumption is not backed by facts. 10% of 2 million would be 200,000 (half malta's population) whereas the number of immigrants in malta, over a number of years, has remained at a steady few hundreds.
Maria Azzopardi
Jul 19th 2010, 00:22
Under the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Article 18 "Right to asylum" states:
"The right to asylum shall be guaranteed with due respect for the rules of the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951 and the Protocol of 31 January 1967 relating to the status of refugees and in accordance with the Treaty establishing the European Community".
Malta signed the protocol of the 1951 Geneva Convention (ie: United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees) on the 15th September 1971.
For persons who are blaming the government or the illegal immigrants for heading towards Malta take the law into consideration. Laws are established in order to act as primary social mediators of human relations
Tonio Azzopardi
Jul 18th 2010, 18:46
Although very, very late, the Maltese Government must lobby the European Commission to adopt an emergency ‘readmission plan’ to African countries from which, Malta is getting an unsustainable amount of illegal immigrants. Burden sharing is now a failed and defunct idea and we must admit that the big EU member countries are reluctant to take on further illegal immigrants.
Just last week the European Commission has negotiated a "readmission" agreement with Pakistan to standardise procedures for repatriating illegal migrants who travel to EU from Pakistan. This will include Afghan migrants who transit through Pakistan. The fear of al-Qaeda and Taliban attacks spreading to Europe - like the suicide bombings in London in 2005 - is giving impetus to the EU drive to identify illegal migrants from the region.
The latest suicide bombings in Kimpala Uganda that killed at least 73 people indicate that this was the cowardly act of the Somali based al-Qaeda filo-group al-Shabab. This should drive the Maltese Government to identify illegal migrants from such a country as in the circumstances; accepting unidentified people may pose a serious threat to Malta’s and EU’s security.
Sean Grima
Jul 20th 2010, 11:23
the somalis in malta are veryt probably the victims, not the perpetrators, of such violence.
and on what basis have you decided that malta has a dispropotionate amount of migrants? other mediterranean countries get them by the tens of thousands, we get a few hundreds.
John Portelli
Jul 18th 2010, 18:22
Why weren't these people all taken back.. Is this a joke or what. WE have enough illegal migrants.
Maria Azzopardi
Jul 18th 2010, 23:32
who is this general WE you speak of?
A Bezzina
Jul 18th 2010, 17:07
Thank you Sean Grima, and thank you Lord for blessing the country with persons who have a heart to feel, and a mind to think, such as him! As can be noted in the comments below, he seems to be one of a very few to inform himself before expressing himself. This explains why he is able to comment about the reality of asylum seekers from an educated point-of-view, rather than an egocentric, self-centred, 'I-only-care-about-my-comfort-zone' perspective that can be noted in other very sad comments!
Joe Xuereb
Jul 18th 2010, 16:45
@Elaine Compagno. Spot on! Men far outnumber the women. These are fit young men wanting to earn a living in Europe doing whatever. I would have thought that, even by looking at them, they do not give the impression of being qualified to do anything much other than lounge around. Europe, like the rest of the planet, is in recession. Unemployment is rife to varying degrees across the countries. These countries can not afford loungers, who, apart from the 'economic migrant' joke are really here because in Europe, they've heard, women go around half naked, regardless of the weather. This explains the higher incidence of male illegals over females. I may be accused of cynicism and fatalism. But hey! if a little cynicism saves me my skin, why not?!
People are affected by their surroundings and what is going on around them. It is called the 'knock-on-effect. The effect can lead to material deprivation and more importantly, how people are affected psychological. All this is so obvious it is hardly worth saying. But people in denial need spoon-feeding. And even then.....
lgalea
Jul 18th 2010, 15:44
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jul/11/africa-recovery-global-recession
Africa's untold story is of a booming continent and a growing middle class
Sean Grima
Jul 19th 2010, 09:18
excellent, i hope you are thinking of migrating there!
Charles Zammit
Jul 18th 2010, 15:29
When will this government discover that besides the illegal immigrants, who seem to have the right to come over at will at stay, there are also some inhabitants who are also pleading for their rights????
Sean Grima
Jul 18th 2010, 16:21
migrants are not affecting any resident's rights
Joe Morana
Jul 18th 2010, 15:18
There you go again, Dear The Times! You are being naive in the extreme if you believe illegal immigrants arrive 'here [in Malta] by mistake' ! Everyone knows that there exists a well-funded 'Somali Mafia' operating from the shores of the Horn of Africa (piracy?), with operations stretching all the way to Copenhagen, with Malta as its Mediterranean base and transit point. Who can forget the scenes of jubilation at the triumphant arrival of a boatload of Somali illegal immigrants one Sunday morning at Marsaxlokk, a couple of years ago? Or the unexplained increase in landings of unaccompanied members of the female sex over the past couple of years? Slavery and/or prostitution, or perhaps procreation!
Sean Grima
Jul 18th 2010, 16:22
thankfully you are here to enlighten all us dim wits!
David Portelli
Jul 18th 2010, 14:10
The passage below from Mr Xuered really makes a good point,but I think that it is a possitive step that libya took 27 illegal immigrants back,altough I believe they all should have been taken back cause Libya is their departure point.
We'll se if this is the STARTING point.
Sean Grima
Jul 18th 2010, 16:23
nonsense
Stephen Koludrovic
Jul 18th 2010, 13:54
Wonder how many abandoned wives and children these immigrants have left behind.
Sean Grima
Jul 18th 2010, 16:24
now if that is not a racist comment!
Stephen Koludrovic
Jul 18th 2010, 16:38
Now maybe you could explain to me how my comment could be considerd as racist.
Sean Grima
Jul 19th 2010, 09:15
the underlying implication of your comment is that africans levae behind their wives and children.
Joe Xuereb
Jul 18th 2010, 13:06
Europe's shackled because of signed agreements to be humane. In effect, this means that Governements (particularly, the Maltese Government, have to be inhumane to their own in order to be humane to illegal roamers. Apologists, with their confused mixed-messages, could at least admit that illegals are being inhumane to themselves and theirs. Agreements are binding to all who sign. But Malta is worse off beyond signatures. Malta is also signatory to the Pauline tradition. Thence christian values. The christian-values-card is a very powerful card and those who wield it play it to the hilt. Hence a people strapped over a barrel - without spittle. Take one apologists with christian values(?), maybe, a peculiar self-serving agenda and the coctail is explosive. She/he, the apologist, will drag him/herself down and everybody else with him/her - paradoxically, together with the illegals.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raft_of_the_Medusa
So misguided and deluded are the apologists, that in their peculiar mindset they claim that immigrants are not a problem as eventually, they will integrate and adopt Maltese traditions and culture - what's left - through inter-marriage. Bizarre or what!
Anybody concerned about the loss of 27 'unwanteds' to Libya - don't fret. They'lll end up here or in Europe somehow.
John Spiteri
Jul 18th 2010, 13:52
Here go the prophets of doom again. Last year they prophesied that Malta would be overrun with Africans.
Anyway dear prophets, the world will end in 2012, so stop worrying.
Sean Borg
Jul 18th 2010, 12:17
I repeat the same question of one of the contributors Why weren't they all taken back t Libya?
Any answer please????
Sean Grima
Jul 18th 2010, 16:23
what difference does it make to you?
Maria Azzopardi
Jul 18th 2010, 23:33
Maybe you should travel to Libya and find out for yourself
Norman Lowell
Jul 18th 2010, 12:07
"Maltese and Libyan patrol boats shared out 55 migrants..."
Burden Sharing in action!
Finally, its working!
Denis Catania
Jul 18th 2010, 15:56
@Norma Lowell: True burden sharing would be if other EU countries would take ALL 28 illegals. As Malta is still full up with illegals. But in saying that, this is a good start and a big thank you to Libya and especially Italy. Now we need to stop accepting non Maltese deportees to be deported to Malta. But this Maltese government has no guts.
Maria Azzopardi
Jul 18th 2010, 23:35
this Maltese government has a brain
Patrick Sacco
Jul 18th 2010, 11:47
An article like this one makes me think that common sense is REALLY not so common. Once we accept them, even one of them, it is a signal for others to come. Wait and see! As far as I know we are NOT taking part in FRONTEX this year and so we have no obligation to accept them let alone keep them here!
louise Vella
Jul 18th 2010, 11:32
In the meantime the saga continues. In Italy illegal immigrants have tried to escape from their compound, set the place on fire etc. See ansa.it:
Immigrazione: disordini nei Cie
A Gradisca d'Isonzo e Milano clandestini tentano fuga da centro
18 luglio, 10:49
(ANSA) - GRADISCA D'ISONZO (GORIZIA), 18 LUG - Disordini e un tentativo di fuga di 30 persone nella notte all'interno del Cie di Gradisca d'Isonzo (Gorizia). La protesta e' stata inscenata sui tetti della struttura, che ospita 140 clandestini. I protagonisti del fatto, che hanno cercato invano di scavalcare la recinzione, hanno anche dato fuoco ad alcune suppellettili.
Rivolta anche al Cie di via Corelli a Milano, dove un gruppo di immigrati ha inscenato un sit-in sul tetto. E alcuni hanno tentato la fuga.
Joe Fenech
Jul 18th 2010, 11:12
What we need to get rid off is GONZI and his government and the equally obtuse PL.
Only then will Malta live!
Maria Azzopardi
Jul 18th 2010, 23:42
Ignorance in this case is certainly not bliss. Have you ever heard of International or Regional treaties?
Louise Vella
Jul 18th 2010, 11:12
Actually there is a third solution for the illegal immigrants at present in Malta. The Swede Cecilia Malmstrom, the EU Commissioner responsible for illegal immigrants, could organise EU charter flights to take them back to their countries of origin. Most of them are economic migrants anyway and it's a time of economic crisis in Europe.
P Agius
Jul 18th 2010, 11:38
Even if there is a risk of them being tortured?
Elaine Compagno
Jul 18th 2010, 13:57
P Agius. Have you ever noticed how many more men end up here rather than women and children? Don't you think it's strange?
See.. if it were war and torture that they were running from, they'd take their whole family out of the situation.. ESPECIALLY the women and children.
But they are not. They are economic migrants. Strong men, workers. They come to find higher paid jobs, to live on a shoe string and send the money home to feed their huge families. While the rest of us here try hard to hang on to our jobs (those of us who have one) and have less and less children to afford to give them a decent education, health, clothing and good food.
Maybe if they had some idea of family planning they won't have so many mouths to feed. But that's not going to happen and I am convinced that they will simply out-breed us till Europe becomes another Africa.
Paul Mac
Jul 18th 2010, 14:40
If their country is in such a shambles and they are scared they will be tortured, why instead of running dont they sort out their own country?! Patriots anyone...
Sean Grima
Jul 18th 2010, 16:27
i wonder how many of the people posting these prejudiced comments will be going to church today!
Louise Vella
Jul 18th 2010, 10:50
These illegal immigrants do not want to stay in Malta and we don't want them. They want to go to Sweden or some other Northern European country, but the countries of Northern Europe don't want them. There are two possible solutions. The EU Commissioner for illegal immigration, the Swede Cecilia Malmstrom, should make a special arrangement to teke these illegal immigrants to Sweden, known as heaven on earth. Or she could re-negotiate the agreement between Italy and Libya at the EU level. That way Frontex would become a robust coastguard with the duty of pushing back the boats to Libya.
Sean Grima
Jul 20th 2010, 15:54
life is a lot more complictated that a classroom!
Charles Sammut
Jul 18th 2010, 10:27
"Migrants who land in Malta would normally be on their way to Italy and arrive here by mistake."
Mistake or no mistake we end up keeping them here. Goes to show that the repatriation agreement with Libya does not apply to Malta but only to Italy. Here in Malta, Gonzi rules by his misguided religious morals and not by what is best for Malta.
However, this is not all bad news. Unless the situation deteriorates further, matters will not come to a head as is happening in other European countries.
This http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2010/jul/17/joe-sacco-unwanted-immigrants sums it up nicely.
Sean Grima
Jul 18th 2010, 10:43
what is misguided is your inhumane position, which also happens to be in breach of the rights of migrants.
dalma portelli
Jul 18th 2010, 12:52
Tortured by whom? Hallini tridx?! The only ones being tortured are the hard-working tax-paying Maltese who cannot take this any more.
Ergajna bdejna... UFFFFF UFFFFFFF UFFFFFFFFFFF UFFFFFFFFFFFFFF UFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Sean Grima
Jul 18th 2010, 16:24
we should all start weeping at the unbearable suffering of the maltese!
Maria Azzopardi
Jul 19th 2010, 00:25
misguided religious morals?
Conrad Busuttil
Jul 19th 2010, 14:06
@ Sean Grima
I am sure that migrants' rights apply to those who do so in a lawful way, and not to illegal ones!
Sean Grima
Jul 21st 2010, 10:46
of course, but once you apply for asylum you are here legally, do many do not seem to want to accept this fact.
lgalea
Jul 18th 2010, 10:04
Why weren't they all taken back t Libya?
alan cox
Jul 18th 2010, 09:18
HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!!! AND AGAIN AND AGAIN!!!!!!!! THEY WILL NEVER STOP
Joe Pace
Jul 18th 2010, 08:42
here we go again