Updated - Migrants transferred to Tunisian warship
A Spanish warship which was refused entry in Malta to disembark some 100 migrants has transferred the migrants to a Tunisian warship.
The destroyer Admiral Juan de Borbon was just outside Maltese territorial waters in the past two days as Malta, Spain and Nato argued over the situation.
It left for Tunisia late yesterday and transferred the migrants to a Tunisian warship this morning, just outside Tunisian waters.
"The Government of Malta thanks all parties directly involved in the logical conclusion to this search and rescue operation," the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.
The migrants were picked up off Libya on Sunday, 78 nautical miles from Tunisia, 88 nautical miles from Lampedusa and 141 nautical miles from Malta.
The government insisted that the migrants should have been taken to the harbour that was closest to the rescue position. On Thursday it asked Nato for an explanation as to why the warship headed for Malta, but none was given.
Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said on Thursday Malta was only informed that the migrants were being brought here 18 hours after the rescue and when the Spanish ship was just 40 nautical miles from the island.
Malta asked the Nato command in Naples to explain why the immigrants were being brought here and whether similar requests for disembarkation were made to Tunisia and Italy. The Spanish government said the destroyer never received instructions from Nato to go to any particular country.
The migrants had to be rescued after the engine of their boat failed. A tug boat tried assist them but its crew was unable to repair the engine.
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George Azzopardi
Jul 17th 2011, 09:26
Kemm ajruh lil-Joseph Muscat meta kien qal li l-gvern messu rrefjuta lir-refugjati bhal ma kienu qed jaghmlu t-Taljani! Kemm ghamiluha tal-qaddisin, Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici u Gonzi u poggew lil J.M. bhal xi dittatur! Mela issa irrifjutajnihom lil-dawn ir-refugjati .. tghid x'kellom specjalli dawn. Jew ghax tkellem Joseph Muscat ghamlu ghageb. Ara vera PN ippokrita. Mhux ta b'xejn li l-membri tieghu qed jitiquh!
Rebecca Johansen
Jul 17th 2011, 02:11
Lampedusa, Sicily, Italy, Malta, Greece......cannot absorb the entire third world unemployed from the African Continent ,Arabian Peninsula and Asia..........WHAT was Nato & Company thinking?
They are as much responsible for human 'spillage' from their war, as are the "Rebels", as an oil tanker is responsible for oil spillage and environmental clean up.
Malta did not create the war in Libya, or the Arab Spring - and wherever their sympathies or theories may lie, nobody can willfully impose any burden on Malta it shares no responsibility or liability for.
Ms Agnes Bezzina
Jul 16th 2011, 23:26
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me... Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Mr twanny borg
Jul 16th 2011, 21:04
il-ministru karm mifsud bonnici l-aqwa ministru. prosit.
joe camenzuli
Jul 16th 2011, 21:01
Why worry about their well being in another country. Our concern should be the well being of maltese citizens in this tiny island which at present is over-crowed and the people can't make ends meet. If we take in all those irregular immigrants, the government will have to up our taxes to be able to house, cloth, and feed them, and as I said without help we are already hard pressed.
Mr Michael Buhagiar
Jul 16th 2011, 15:56
dear government - unless NATO and its allies dont treat us with respect dont let their ships enter our harbours not even on humanitarian grounds. We have to show one and all that Malta demands respect - for its territory for its people. this is another point in the feather of this government who is showing seriousness in how to tackle this immigration problem.
Stephen Koludrovic
Jul 16th 2011, 23:09
@ ivor Ramsden and Agnes Bezzina,
Well nobody is stopping you to wire them a few thousand euros, and pay for their lodgings in one of the 5 star holiday complexies that are available.
Ivor Ramsden
Jul 16th 2011, 15:08
I wonder how well they will be looked after in Tunisia?
Ms Agnes Bezzina
Jul 16th 2011, 16:02
You have to have a heart to wonder what will become of these people ... which makes you a very rare breed! Unfortunately, very few are the persons who care to inform themselves and learn what is happening South and West of our shores, and the indescribable hardship that human beings like us are going through.
Joe Spiteri Gauci
Jul 16th 2011, 16:32
Don't try to be a humanitarian aide, the government did the right thing, if you are looking for their wellbeing...well you should have come forward and take care of them yourself
Colin Stanley
Jul 16th 2011, 17:32
why should they be treated badly in Tunisia most of them have been working in Libya for years, Tunisia is now a democratic country, some of them are arabs (the immigrants ) . so it's better than being kept behind bars over here.
Joseph J. Borg
Jul 16th 2011, 17:46
Joe Spiteri Gauci: "don't be a humanitarian aide [sic]"? As opposed to what? Being an inhumanitarian perhaps?
Charles Sammut
Jul 16th 2011, 17:50
@ Ivor Ramsden
Don't worry, the UNHCR is in control in Tunisia. That is what they receive funds for, to take care of refugees and help them return home as soon as it is safe to do so.
Mr Tony Camilleri
Jul 16th 2011, 18:09
Ivor Ramsden, Ms Agnes Bezzina, we do not care about illegal immigrats. they are illegal and they are invading our country. They should have returned to their own country and the government is doing the wrong thing in allowing them to remain in Malta. They must all be expelled for they shall never be allowed to stay and integrate within Maltese society.
Those who have eyes to see and ears to hear let them see and hear.
Mr David Farrugia
Jul 16th 2011, 18:39
millions are in fact suffering, and in worse countries than tunisia. so what? get all the millions here for shelter?? It was the right choice to turn them back. If they want to change their government they should stay in their own country and make a revolution. Freedom comes at a price. Almost all developed countries went through revolution...France, Czech rep, Roania, Germany (war), Poland, Russia, USA (war), Malta in a way as well..etc etc....
We cannot accommodate fleeing millions, not even Europe, let alone Malta.
Ms Agnes Bezzina
Jul 16th 2011, 20:47
Thanks for confirmation that the likes of Mr Ivor Ramsden ... and Mr Joseph J Borg ... who have a heart, are a very rare breed!! Very sad indeed! Ditto ...
j brincat
Jul 16th 2011, 20:57
@ I Ramsden
Ask NATO!
@Agnes Bezzina
Any suggestions?
(jb)
Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi
Jul 16th 2011, 23:30
Tunisia has no war going on and it is far larger and richer than tiny overcrowded Malta ever will be.
The fact that it has real warships as opposed to small patrol boats should tell you something regarding its wealth compared to these isles.
And why do we have to look after all of Africa's population all of a sudden?
They have lived fine for thousands of years on that huge resource rich continent.
Why do they all want to leave for europe instead of developing that mighty continent with huge potential and live off our taxes and handouts instead?
The EU and the USA give Africa billions of dollars in aid, what is there to show for it?
This cannot go on forever.
Mr Charles.C. Brown
Jul 17th 2011, 00:14
they will be treated well and wellcome with open arms,........ having you read latley that the illustrious Simon Busutill is leading a delegation to the tunisian border!!!
Mr Carmel (Nenu) Aquilina
Jul 16th 2011, 15:04
Prosit Onor ministru Mifsud Bonnici,
Din rebħa kbira oħra tal-gvern ta' GONZI mat-Taljani tal-Ministru Marrone bil-mustaċċi.
Mur għidilhom lill Maltin ta' qabel l-indipendenza li għad ikun hawn vapur tan-NATO armat sa sninu, u li għad ikun gvern Malti tal-Prim Ministru Gonzi li ma jħalliħx ma jirfes l-ibħra Maltin, aħseb u ara kemm jidħol fil-port u jniżżel in-nies.
Erġajtu blajtuha bil-qoxra b'kollox sa l-istonku tgħakom Sinjuri Taljani.
Mal-Maltin ma rbaħtu qatt, l-anqas meta ġejtu armati, minfok tkissirtu intom b'pajjiżkom b'kollox.
Mela ħalluna darba għall dejjem u morru tgħallmu ftit diplimazija, forsi xi darba tkunu kapaċi tpoġġu fejn il-Maltin Sur Marrone.
Prosit lill gvern ta' Gonzi u lill poplu Malti u għawdxi kollu, mela ifraħ ja' poplu!
Joe Spiteri Gauci
Jul 16th 2011, 16:33
Naqbel mieghek 100 fil 100
Charlie Borg
Jul 16th 2011, 16:48
Nahseb qed tghix f'xi seklu iehor, taf.
Ma nafx jekk hux gieli ktibt f'dawn il-kummenti favur ir-Religjon!
Charles Sammut
Jul 16th 2011, 17:46
@ Mr Carmel (Nenu) Aquilina
X'ghandhom x'jaqsu t-Taljani? U anke li kellhom, ittihom tort jagixxu fl-ahjar interess ta' pajjizhom? Grazzi ghall-ministru Maroni, is-sena l-ohra bil-kemm resqu l-hawn dghajjes bil-klandestini.
Min-naha l-ohra, Gonzi qatt ma rnexxielu jgibha zewg ma' Gaddafi.
Issa, int x'tahseb li jaghmlu l-Maltin meta jiltaqghu ma' xi dghajjsa klandestini? Jippontawhom lejn Sqallija. U t-Taljani iparpruhom lejn Franza. Dan mhux xi sigriet, u jaghmlu sew ghax ahna m'ghandniex x'nabuhom u t-Taljani jiehdu hsieb li kemm jista jkun ma jitilqux izjed mill-Libja, xi haga li Malta m'hijiex f'posizzjoni li taghmel.
Adele Mintoff
Jul 16th 2011, 14:58
As much as my heart goes out to these people, I believe that the government has handled this situation so well. Well done!!
Charlie Borg
Jul 16th 2011, 16:53
I don't think that your heart really goes out to these people, you know.
Martin Borg
Jul 16th 2011, 21:15
@ Charlie Borg
So what are we supposed to di if our heart really goes out to them? Bring them to our shores?
Over the past months my heart has gone out to millions of people: Egyptians, Tunisians, Libyans, Siryans, Bahrainis, Saudis, Yemenis.... Should we ask all thwse people over, so that your definition of "my heart goes out to these people" is satisfied? Do you have a spare bed, couch, room, whatever? Maybe you could host a few of these poor people and lead by example?
E. Azzopardi
Jul 16th 2011, 14:42
And it goes on and on. And it WILL go on and on as we seem to be helpless.
Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi
Jul 16th 2011, 14:31
Kudos to the Maltese Government for not allowing its self to be pushed around by foreign nation bullies.
Standing up for yourself really matters and makes a difference.
A. Zammit
Jul 16th 2011, 14:16
About time we show one and all that we will not be messed around.
Prosit to all involved.
Ms Maria Abela
Jul 16th 2011, 13:49
Well done to the Malta government.This is the way to go.We are not a soft touch.These are not refugees. these are economic migrants.Well done Mr Gonzi.
Maria Pisani
Jul 16th 2011, 17:12
amazing maria. why bother with conventions, the refugee commissioner or indeed the whole asylum process. it seems you have the whole thing sussed. kudos to you.
Mr A Cardona
Jul 16th 2011, 12:01
While i do not agree with multiculturalism and am against immigration due to the burden it carries especially on citizens of such a small island like ours, i cannot avoid saying also that i do believe that human life has lost its value completely. While gold is at a record high, human life is at a record low.
Mr R.E. Saliba
Jul 16th 2011, 12:46
Indeed.
Which is why we must start somewhere by placing a value on our own lives first and foremost.
To give you a literal translation... Malta will give you her heart if needs be, but will NOT be bullied.
Mr Tony Camilleri
Jul 16th 2011, 18:12
Mr A Cardona go back with them to thier own countries and increase their record value there.
Mr A Cardona
Jul 16th 2011, 20:00
@ Mr Tony Camilleri
I wrote that as after reading this article (like countless of others during these last years on TOM) just reminded me of a similar situation back in the 1940s where the Jews were just not helped during WW2 and left to die and murdered without mercy. Evidently history is repeating itself here in a different scenario. What makes us and them different is just were we were born and the color of our skin.
This quote speaks by itself.
"I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn't give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.' : Matthew 25:43.
Mr Tony Camilleri
Jul 18th 2011, 10:04
Mr A Cardona that was a totally different situation. They are only economic immigrats who have no right to come to Malta and are unwanted and unwelcome by the vast majority of the Maltese citizens as expressed so many times at all polls.
Mr Tony Camilleri
Jul 18th 2011, 10:04
Mr A Cardona perhaps you may also want to go to Africa and preach your gospel to them.
Mr ALBERT FENECH
Jul 16th 2011, 12:00
Well done Malta's Government for standing firm in this matter and having the legal right to do so. We should not be bullied by other larger countrires who created these problems in the first instance and are now trying to escape from them. This is not being cruel - it is being legal and logical. If Spain, Italy et al have their economic problems, well we have our own and there is only so much we can take on board.
ALBERT FENECH
Qawra
G Hoare
Jul 16th 2011, 11:17
WELL DONE TO WHOEVER STUCK TO THIER GUNS,THIS IS THE NEWS I LIKE TO READ WHEN I GET ON MY FAVOURITE NEWS PAPERS.
Mr Joseph Cauchi Senior
Jul 16th 2011, 11:05
Since it is stipulated that those saved from the sea should be transferred to the NEAREST port and in this case the nearest safe port was Tunisia, just 78 nautical miles away; then why weren’t they transferred there in the first place?
JC.
Mr Evarist Saliba
Jul 16th 2011, 10:58
Assuming that the warship has received instructions not to try to disembark in Malta the persons it has picked up much nearer to other countries, the Maltese government should be congratulated for handling the situation calmly and firmly in the face of much larger and stronger countries. Where rules exist they should be followed, otherwise anarchy will prevail.
Ms Louise Vella
Jul 16th 2011, 10:26
Now that the illegal immigrants are off to Tunisia, I call on the comments of Joseph Cassar of JRS and Neil Falzon of aditus whose commnets were quoted on timesofmalta.com two days ago. I hope they will learn not to speak too soon.
Ms Louise Vella
Jul 16th 2011, 10:16
I'm learning some law from reading the comments in www.timesofmalta.com. Most importantly that a warship is part of the territory of the country it belongs to. So the destroyer is part of Spain. So Spain has to keep the illegal immigrants on its destroyer because according to Dublin II they cannot go to any other EU country. Spain says its destroyer was under NATO command and that nobody ever gave the captain any orders to pick up the illegal immigrants or to bring them to Malta. But that's neither here nor there. So Spain has to lump the illegal immigrants and not dump them on Malta. It could have left them in Tunisia seeing it was the closest country and some of the illegal immigrants are Tunisian. But that seems too late now.
Mr Joe Caruana
Jul 16th 2011, 11:34
Ms Louise Vella, so when the Maltese patrol boat picks up migrants a whisker away from, say Lampedusa, according to your maritime law, they should be brought to Malta and not to Lampedusa !! Not so. They are required to take them to the nearest safe port - in my example Lampedusa.
Mr Tony Camilleri
Jul 16th 2011, 18:14
Mr Joe Caruana yes but they tried to bring them here instead of taking them to Lampedusa which means that they were then bound by the Dublin II Convention not to transfer them to another country and no longer by International Law which required them to be taken to the nearest safe port. I hope I have not lost you in legal jargon Mr Joe Caruana.
Ms Louise Vella
Jul 16th 2011, 10:07
On 14 July Aditus, an NGO, was prompt to issue a press release about the Spanish warship which was quoted in www.timesofmalta.com. It can be accessed on www.aditus.mt.org. I recommend to readers to read it to see how aditus is quick to shoot from the hip and how wrong it can be.
The press release says: “It appears that the Maltese and Italian authorities are once again disagreeing over where to disembark a group of around 100 rescued migrants.” Not so. There have been no discussions between the Maltese and Italian governments and therefore no disagreement.
Referring to the illegal immigrants, the press release says: “ … they are probably exhausted, dehydrated and are in urgent need of physical and psychological assistance. A warship is definitely not the place to provide this urgent assistance”. Not so. A warship is equipped with food, drink and medical facilities to give all kinds of assistance.
The press release adds: “aditus .. .urges the Italian and Maltese authorities to immediately relieve the warship of rescued migrants, in the interests of both the latter and of the crew itself. ” As the persons in distress are on a Spanish warship, aditus should tell the Spanish government that it is responsible for keeping them and not try and dump them on other countries.
Mr Joe Gatt
Jul 16th 2011, 10:39
Ms Louise Vella
`Referring to the illegal immigrants, the press release says: “ … they are probably exhausted, dehydrated and are in urgent need of physical and psychological assistance. `
They may be right after all you know.
This is a secret, so I`ll say this only once.
Modern Warships use slaves chained to their bunks to man invisible oars, they have three Power levels.
Slow speed, Normal cruising and Ramming Speeds, `there`s no reverse` for the latter power level they have Hefty men with Whips, ready to beat the living daylight out of any economic migrants, they take on board, these unfortunates are otherwise known as psychologically disturbed slaves.
The Ship also have Special Marine detachments on board, they land secretly at night to abduct people, as not many volunteer can be found for such tasks.
It has to be pointed out that, Modern Navies use these tactics in order to be compliant with Stringent Emission Control Regulation now being enforced.
Now pls do not spread this around, but keep it to yourselves, lest the Commercial shipping Companies follows suit.
Thanks.
Charles Sammut
Jul 16th 2011, 11:27
@ Mr Joe Gatt
"It has to be pointed out that, Modern Navies use these tactics in order to be compliant with Stringent Emission Control Regulation now being enforced."
I beg to disagree on the above point. You obviously have never been ..............
Well, never mind.
Mr Joe Gatt
Jul 16th 2011, 14:04
Charles Sammut
I tend to agree with you there, too.
I have seen quite recently, some Modern Western Warships entering Grand Harbour, people were thinking that we were back to old times, when ships used coal to generate steam.
By the way, this is meant to be confidential, and should not be spread around.