Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
EU mum on Gaddafi’s request for €5 billion
‘Europe could become Africanised’
The European Commission yesterday refused to react to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s latest request for €5 billion a year to stop illegal immigrants from Africa entering the EU through its southern border.
Colonel Gaddafi’s comments, in which he also said Europe could soon become “black”, were made during an official visit to Rome on Monday.
Asked for a reaction, European Commission spokesman Matthew Newman said the EU executive did not wish to give any reaction on what President Gaddafi said.
When pressed, he only said that, “through dialogue and comprehensive cooperation, the EU can improve the situation... in particular with regard to prevention of irregular migration”.
Commission sources said this was not the first time Col. Gaddafi or other Libyan officials made financial requests to the EU in exchange for help over the illegal immigration issue.
“Some years ago, the Libyan government sent the EU a list of military equipment it needed to police its borders against illegal immigrants. The equipment costs much more than the €5 billion Col Gaddafi mentioned last Monday,” the sources said.
The sources acknowledged that Libya did hold the key to control the flow of illegal immigrants as the bilateral agreement between Libya and Italy had shown.
Since the start of Libya-Italy joint patrols in Libya’s territorial waters last year, the flow of illegal immigrants reaching the shores of Italy and Malta have been reduced drastically. So far this year, no illegal immigrants have reached the island and, in 2009, there were 1,475 people arriving, almost half the amount of 2008 (2,775), when the agreement between Italy and Libya was still not in place.
The European Commission has been negotiating without success a partnership agreement with Tripoli. The partnership would likely involve substantial aid, however, progress has been very slow.
A visit by the former EU Justice Chief to Libya, Jacques Barrot, had been postponed several times, eventually never taking place and the new European commissioner responsible for migration issues, Cecilia Malmstrom, is still waiting to visit Tripoli for official talks over the proposed partnership agreement.
But the Libyan leader is positioning himself for the negotiations.
Speaking in Rome on Monday evening, Col Gaddafi said the money would avoid that Europe “turns into Africa” as “there are millions of Africans who want to come in”.
He said that “tomorrow, Europe might no longer be European, and even black, as there are millions who want to come in”.
“We don’t know what will happen, what will be the reaction of the white and Christian Europeans faced with this influx of starving and ignorant Africans. We don’t know if Europe will remain an advanced and united continent or if it will be destroyed, as happened with the barbarian invasions,” President Gaddafi said in the presence of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who did not react to the controversial comments.
Alternattiva Demokratika yesterday urged the main political parties to stand up to such “blackmail”.
Arnold Cassola, AD’s spokesman on EU and international affairs, said: “Gaddafi has also asked the EU to give him at least €5 billion a year or else, he threatened, Europe could become Africanised, through migration. The European Union should not give in to this backmail and, indeed, should insist on Col Gaddafi and Libya signing and ratifying the Geneva convention on human rights instead”.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
'No need for early election if PM's...
In Discussion
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Gozo tunnel could take 5-7 years to...
CABS remote controlled aircraft shot...
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Joseph Calleja condemns portrayal of...
Updated: Labour would give...
CABS drone shot down
Second group of migrants arrives
Adrian Vassallo in scathing...
10 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Joe Bugeja
Sep 2nd 2010, 10:07
Where are you hiding Sean Grima?
Where are you GWU?
Where are you JRS?
Where are you UNHCR?
Where are all those who defend the illegal immigrants?
Where have you hibernated?
Andrew Hili
Sep 2nd 2010, 03:34
As I always say, European governments/leaders/etc are totally spineless and quickly succumb to anything Gaddafi says.
There is no need for any discussions with this him, leave him to rot in his own disheveled country and never invite him ever to Europe...he's not needed here!
Then all that is needed to keep us true Europeans happy in our own countries is to simply send back all the illegal immigrants irrespective of what their faith will be on their return. These people haven't a clue what human rights are so why should we care.
They are not wanted in our countries! We have enough problems of our own...we don't need them here!
It is not the Africans who want to come here, it is Gaddafi who forces them to do so, so that bit by bit they invade and infiltrate all Europe, then when the time comes a simple order from Gaddafi will easily seize every town/village/country as his people would already be there!
This is nothing but a planned invasion. What they failed to do with swords, they are doing with immigration.
CZARB
Sep 1st 2010, 21:16
The EU immigration problem was solved (for the Serie A countries) thanks to the Dublin convention signed by our great statesmen. Why should Sweden, Germany and co pay 5 billion euros a year when they can easily send immigrants back to Malta, Italy, Cyprus and Spain?
Pierre Sacco
Sep 1st 2010, 19:00
Listen listen! Geddafi has again told us of what Europe should be like. This is not the first time his dreams of European islamisation have been put forward. And the European commission says nothing. No surprise. European politicians are a bunch of spineless people. And again, he tries to blackmail Europe, by demanding such a large sum of money. And again, European politicians don't do anything. They should slam him with sanctions if he raises his tone, not stay mum!! But no they wouldn't dare, now that they are doing big business with him, after all he's got the oil!!
Paul Saliba
Sep 1st 2010, 17:36
Government and all politicians. Just get all illegal immigrants out of Malta or you will get our answers on our votes.
Louise Vella
Sep 1st 2010, 14:22
Gaddafi's comments give the lie to UNHCR and all those do-gooder NGOs which have been saying that the Africans arriving in Malta are refugees. It has long been obvious to all those who have eyes to see and a mind to think with, that this is a deliberate policy of flooding Europe with "starving and ignorant Africans" (as Gaddafi calls them). At best they are economic migrants trying to improve their lives on the back of European countries.
Note also that UNHCR and the do-gooder NGOs have never told us how many thousands of African illegal immigrants they want Malta and the rest of Europe to be burdened with.
They never speak of numbers. Now Gaddafi has told us there are millions of them ready to cross over, enough of them to turn Europe from Christian to Muslim and from white to black. The EU has not commented, but neither have UNHCR and the do-gooder NGOs.
Tommy Lee
Sep 2nd 2010, 07:43
They wont comment as they ae now in hiding. Their dastardly works are now exposed for all to see. Gaddafi is nothing more than a tyrant but Mr Gonzi has gone over for his anniversary celebrations.What hope is there with the present bunch of politicians?. None that I can see.
Joe V3ella Caruana
Sep 1st 2010, 13:27
The 5 billion euro demand is no such big problem ( although it may be a bluff) .The urgent and critical problem is his challenge that Europe ( and even USA) will soon be black and Islam. Instead of terroristic attacks and its financing, now Europe is being flooded by illegal immigrants who breed like mice and can chew the European beliefs,culture and governing system in a few bites. It is imperative that restriction should be studied if we care and cherish our way of life.
gcForte
Sep 1st 2010, 11:20
In my opinion we have a golden opportunity. We should develop our little sister island of Comino,and make it residential. We accept to keep such amount of these Africans, after they will be scrutinized, let them do sort of a local council to rule themselves,will work some of the land and will have their own farms, then they can sell their products to us or import them. Of course we will make the E.U to first finalize all the project, then to give us,let say 3 billion euros a year. The next option will be........return to sender, before they enter our seas.
Louise Vella
Sep 1st 2010, 09:40
The Swede Cecilia Malmstrom, the EU Commissioner responsible for illegal immigration, should get off her high horse of idealism and take Gaddafi's words at their face value. He has already shown his policy of wanting to flood Europe with African illegal immigrants, whom he himself calls hungry and ignorant. Cecilia Malmstrom should acknowledge the obvious. The only policy that has worked is Italy's policy of maintaining a strong coastguard to push the boats back to Libya. So far Libya has cooperated with Italy. But Gaddafi himself is telling us all that we cannot continue to rely on Libyan cooperation.
Cecilia Malmstrom should start working to make Italy's policy effective at the level of the EU. We need a strong EU coastguard – a Frontex with teeth - to discourage the boats from coming and to push back those that take the plunge. The EU, and especially Malta, cannot remain at the mercy of Libya's blackmail.