The turbulent situation and violence in Libya could escalate, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi envisaged yesterday, expressing grave concern also for “what could happen after” as the uprising in the neighbouring country remains “fluid”.
“What happens after is also a worrying scenario, so we have to be proactive and prepared with solutions before the problems arise,” he said during a visit to Valletta Waterfront, which has been geared up to receive expatriate evacuees from Libya over the weekend.
In the morning, it welcomed the M/V SNAV Toscana, with 1,749 passengers from 34 nationalities on board. The vast majority remained on the ship for immigration reasons and would be leaving Malta on chartered planes. They lined the decks, cheering and clapping as it berthed in Grand Harbour. Only the eight Brazilians aboard and some Chinese disembarked, a representative of the Brazilian Embassy said.
The vessel was chartered by Brazilian company, Odebrecht International, involved in construction projects in Tripoli, including its new airport, and employing about 3,000 workers, the rest of whom had already left the country on chartered planes.
Representatives of the company and the Brazilian Embassy took the opportunity to express their appreciation for Malta’s “amazing” assistance.
The government realised last Monday it would have to kick-start a “complicated operation” that could handle the arrival of thousands of evacuees, including Maltese, and a coordination initiative of “enormous dimensions” was put into motion, Dr Gonzi said.
He has specifically instructed entities involved in the operation to facilitate the evacuees’ arrival and help them return to their countries as quickly as possible, reducing administrative and bureaucratic procedures to “an absolute minimum” and taking advantage of the possibility to be flexible in humanitarian circumstances.
The priority is to “make them feel comfortable, as though they arrived home,” he said, pointing out they were emerging from a “horrific” situation.
Dr Gonzi strongly urged the remaining Maltese, who were refusing to leave the beleaguered Libya, to revise their decision, refrain from taking any risks and “come home”, insisting it could be their last chance to the leave Tripoli.
Two catamarans arrived last night and left again for Libya almost immediately.
Dr Gonzi amplified his insistence on their hasty return as Air Malta was constrained to cancel scheduled flights amid increasing chaos at the Tripoli airport.
The government was in contact with the Maltese still in Libya but Dr Gonzi did not know why they refused to leave Libya, where the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi has been raging since February 17, leaving the country in turmoil.
The Prime Minister had just received an e-mail from someone who insisted on staying and had answered, urging him to return, wanting all Maltese back.
The Maltese Embassy in Libya was, so far, still operating but Dr Gonzi said it could be closed in the near future. In that case, Malta was liaising with other embassies and even if those shut, it would continue doing its utmost to get everyone out, he assured.