Immigration: ‘We need help’

As more immigrants keep coming, people on the street seem to have the same mindset as EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy who yesterday said the EU should do more to assist Malta. Nikki Abela Mercieca spoke to them.

Lino Pace Bonello, 71, of Rabat, “We are a small country that cannot cope with a big influx of immigrants. The EU needs to do more for us by taking a more substantial number of people who are coming to our islands. They are welcome, don’t get me wrong, but being a small nation we can’t cope with the large numbers that are coming in right now.”

Alfred Portelli, 74, of Żabbar, “Our frontiers need to be strengthened. We have a small country and have nothing to defend ourselves with. I think the EU needs to help small countries like Malta through better reinforcement and funds to maintain the migrants. It doesn’t mean they should be sent back, because that depends on the situation they fled from. If they came from a country of war, they cannot be sent back.”

Tony Azzopardi, 41, of Birkirkara, “According to what I see in the news there doesn’t seem to be much help from the EU. This problem is a reality, they are humans, and they cannot be sent back like goats, but it is a problem for the countries and leaders need to decide what should be done. I think the EU should recognise those countries that are bigger and have more resources than us to help. It is hard for us to understand what they are fleeing from.”

Mary Muscat, 56, of Żabbar, “I think that the EU is helping out, but more help would be good.”

Paul Consiglio, 65, of Sliema, “The Italians should be ashamed of what they are doing to us. They are not helping at all. I think the Maltese should let the immigrants enter Malta, even if they are a burden on the country, but we need to help them with resources from the EU.”

Fabian Blundell, 23, of Valletta, “I don’t think we should keep all the immigrants that arrive here. We need more help from all countries and I don’t think that the EU is doing enough.”