Migrant's baby born on patrol boat
Updated 4 pm.
A baby girl was delivered on a patrol boat as the AFM rescued a group of migrants last night.
The woman, believed to be Somali, gave birth on P51 as a group of 25 migrants was rescued from a dinghy some 56 miles south-west of Malta last night. Mother and child are currently being cared for at Mater Dei Hospital.
Meanwhile, another woman said she miscarried during the trip on the dinghy, which the migrants claimed started three days ago from Tunisia (officials said they believe the trip actually started from Libya).
The two women were among 25 migrants picked up by the patrol boat, which brought them to Malta early this morning. Other members of the group also needed medical attention, with one of them being carried from the patrol boat to a waiting ambulance on a stretcher.
Another 43 migrants from the same group were picked up by the Italian cargo ship Verona and brought to Malta Freeport this afternoon.
The search for the migrants started on Friday when the alert was raised by a foreigner resident in Malta. A Maltese patrol boat and an AFM aircraft were involved, as well as a PC-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft of the US Air Force based at Sigonella. The US aircraft located the dinghy at about 11 p.m. yesterday.
This was the first group of migrants to arrive this year.
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Mr Stephen Camilleri
Jan 17th, 06:55
Yes, I really would like to know what would happen if we had been in their shoes and gone living in some Muslim African country; but not in Nigeria cos they’ll burn you alive in a church. Nor in Somalia since Christian women need wear a veil for fear that they will be beheaded if found out that they are not Muslims. In Rwanda, civilians have the right to massacre Christians with machetes. I can go on like this in almost every country that I know in Africa. So can someone please tell me where I can safely tramp illegally on their soil?
Mr Clayton Mangion
Jan 17th, 01:27
AHDEM BGHAL MALTI HA TITMA LIL MIN IRIDEK ICECIK MIL PAJJIZEK !!!!
Valerie Calleja
Jan 16th, 19:44
To Emma Xerri,well done Madam you are a girl after my own heart. Calls a spade a spade . Everyone seems to have rights except people who do not adhere to what the politicos want. Well done , your comments could have been written by me.
angelo cilia
Jan 16th, 19:18
These folks love popping out babies on someone else's dime.
Joe Xuereb
Jan 16th, 19:02
Louise Vella is right. It is a well known fact that the Maltese have a soft spot for babies. Why, even I, a man, would not mind 'adopting' a couple as long as I could bypass the nappy-changing ritual. Anyhow, such an adoption is unlikely to happen on two fronts at least.
One would have to be a monster, and certainly not Maltese, to want a child off the island herewith. But at some point, sentimentality and soft spots need to be shelved in order to allow practicality to kick in. Manipulating (read blackmailing)people at their weakest, least resistant spot is deplorable and must be shown for what it is.
Joe Xuereb
Jan 16th, 16:50
@Matthew Tanti(11:22). People have always died of hunger and disease and war. Europe is full up and bankrupt. But somehow, it still manages to send aid to places like Somalia. You know about Somalia Matthew, where the seas are plagued by pirates doing all sorts of illegal cruelties to Westerners. And no Matthew, we are not talking of pirates Hollywood style; we are talking of piracy in two thousand and twelve, is in tribal third millennium, and this is what we are up against, a tribal mentality, frozen in time. Somalia, where our aid is intercepted by, let us call them Somalia's Mafia. So that in fact, these people are being 'killed' by their own people. And you Matthew, are trying to blackmail me into helping these people? As I said, my charity money is not reaching its destination. But Europe, in spite of its dire financial straits, continues to help still. But the tragedy continues, theirs(the illegals) and ours(the Europeans, and tiny Malta in particular). Think, Matthew, think! With your level of thinking you will not understand this but I will say it just the same for the benefit of anyone else who resents blackmail, honourable people that they are. So - if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem. Think, Tanti, think! Bis-serjeta`! But I am not holding my breath. Some people's faculties are somewhat limited.
@Andreas Moser(08:09). You have set up a successful blog and yet you spout nonsense. Have you never heard of humans committing criminal acts in your country. Unless of course you are a genius intellectual who sees humans as humans, but it is their acts that are illegal. Surely you must concede this at least. I do not think you are intellectual anything. I think you are invested in superficiality and self-aggrandisement. Hence your blog.
@George Vassallo(09:08). They'll stay for a very long time you say. Without wanting to sound dramatic, I think Malta's endemic populations (and yes it is a great mixture but culturally so far, it has survived as a homogeneous unit). In time - and I do not mean in a couple of years or two decades even - the Maltese population will be replenished by an alien species. Some, may call this an exaggeration(like one Sean Grima who ages ago spouted that newcomers will integrate into Maltese society/culture. What will be left of it in time. Not rocket science to understand this).
@V.Cauchi(08:44). Do you really think they had documents if not passports? By your logic, they should be sent on - short of sending them back to Libya/Tunisian and their traffickers - to wherever they wanted to go and let 'that' country deal with them. The agreements are such that they will be sent back (to us) as they were in our waters blah blah blah. No, by the sounds of it you sound like the type who would have them stay and Malta cope with them as best she can. Maybe, V.Cauchi, you could offer some of your spare space to these 'poor' people - anything would be better than a detention centre.
@M.Cachia(10.47). Charming comment I'm sure. Except, I know that the Maltese have an obesity problem but putting all the hippos in one crate is a bit much. Makes my eyes water at the very thought!
Thanks to all these five commentors for inspiring me. But I must say, Andreas Moser's takes the biscuit. While I'm here |||||||||Andreas, did you read the article a few days back where Imam Laiq Atif spouted his usual nonsense? He who famously said that humans have a right to roam as Jesus too was an itinerant (for the benefit of the Matthew Tantis of this world, and to do away with the painful task of having to a dictionary, this means someone who travels from place to place(in biblical times, maybe. But in the modern world?!), adding, that even Jesus did this (what?!).
My short-term memory is rubbish but my long one is intact. Anyhow, here it is, this little gem lettuce from 7th January 2012, still hot off the baker's palette:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120107/opinion/Love-is-a-powerful-weapon.401326
If a person is not shown dignity by his own kind then I am more than willing to afford disrespected man all the dignity I can afford to bestow. But not unconditionally of course. If my well-being, as well as that of those around me. indeed my very country, is being downgraded as a result of blind dignity-affording, then it is obvious that I and mine will be of no use to anyone. And least of all to the 'undignified' who came to me for dignity, and the rest as a would-be economic migrant. And that has to be a joke and a half as if it weren't crystal clear. The stumbling block is probably a spineless Government which answers to a strong Church that keeps reminding us that hospital, no questions asked is our tradition and our duty. Indeed the Church is known even now to go to the Dark Continent to recruit its fledgling believers. And Malta, as a bastion of Catholicism has had more of its share of time in the limelight. It looks like we are being told to step aside and let knew blood in. And christianity is only optional. Plenty of properties going for free I understand. And they can always live off the land, what's left of it to till. But that should not present a problem. Unlike us fat Westerners, these people are well used to frugality.
S.M. Cuschieri
Jan 16th, 15:53
@emma scerri
L-ewwel nett inti ma fhimtx il-kuncett tieghi. jiena kont qed nirringrazzja lill-kollegi tieghi li tant jisugraw hajjithom biex johorgu ghall-dawn in-nies u please. Fejn ma tifhimx ipprova tikkumentax. It is easy for you to just say "leave them to the italian Authorities" You do not know anything, so just do not comment and try and see the good work the AFM does. May god forbid but if you ever had to be in need, you will then understand the real dedication behind the Maltese armed Forces u naf x'qen nghid!
Joe Cassar
Jan 16th, 10:42
Pls thaltux haga m'ohra!! Bhala pajjiz ma nistawx ma natux ghajnuna. L-MEP's li hemm brussels ghandhom juzaw il-mezzi taghhom u jitfaw presjoni fuq il-pajjizi memebri l-ohra ta' EU biex kulhadd jerfa mil-piz li qed iggor Malta. Malta tkun biss post fejn tinata l-ewwel ghajnuna umanitarja. Ghalhekk qedghin L-MEPs u mhux issahnu s-siggu u jaraw jekk jaqbilhomx johorga kandidata ghal-elezzjoni li jmis!! Hemm bzonn nikbru fil-mentalita u fil-politka. Franco Debono la ghandu jirrezenja u lanqas iwaqqa' gvern, imma jekk vera ihobb id-demokrazzija kif jghid, ghandu jibqa hemm u jigiled biex hawn Malta tidhol sistema fejn l-elettorat jivvota ghal Kap tal-Partit u mhux ghal Kandidat halli ma jkunx hemm favuri!!!! B'din is-sistema il-gvern jahtar il-cabinett tieghu u jazel l-ahhar element li jkun hawn fil-pajjiz..Kap ta' Partit ma jistax jerga johrog wara ghaxar snin ha dejjem ikun hemm ucuh godda (dik id-demokrazzija ta' vera). Nahseb li l-partiti l-kbar dan ma jridhux ghax inkella jitwieled it-tielet partit (Li Malta tant ghanda bzonnu). Sewwa nghid li l-membri parlamentari huma oqbra mbajda. JIen it-tnejn li huma ipruvajthom, imma hafna wedi qabel l-elezjoni umbad ma jsir xejn. Li jghamlu ihaxnu bwiethom u tal-qalba.
Steve Mifsud
Jan 16th, 09:00
Nice to see the extreme right wing is doing so well in Malta. What a bunch of sick racists we have become. All of you need to take a good look in the mirror and see the vermin that you are spouting from your mouths. I fully understand that Malta cannot take unprecedented amounts of humans from other countries....but come on....a child was born. Thankfully safely and apparently in good health. A lot of you need to discover your humanity again.
Maria Muscat
Jan 16th, 15:23
couldnt agree with you more...... i would love to see what the people spouting this hatred would do if they were in these peoples shoes
Mr Stephen Camilleri
Jan 16th, 06:55
It’s obvious the PN aren’t taking it against Libya since they still dream of getting their share of drilling for oil; which would be the only solution from saving the government from our deep recession. And the few thousands of Euros funded from the EU is what one minister earns in a year. Whose leg are they trying to pull? Xeba pupazzi!!!
Kenneth Galea
Jan 15th, 23:35
Alla jbierek. Halls cuc Malti taxes and taxes, the woman was taken to Mater Dei already. She barely touched Maltese soil and she is already a burden on the Maltese taxpayers. There is a shortage of beds at Mater Dei but to pose and smile infront of the international cameras we make room for these illegals. GonziPN betrayed us severely on this issue same as EFA. We want a strong pair of hands to deal with these illegals, hurded on planes and ships and pushed out to sea. Iz-zejjed kollu zejjed Sur Gonzi issa. I wish Dr Muscat will take us OUT of the EU so we are not obliged to give them a hero welcome anymore. They committed a crime, lock them up and then send them back to Libya.
Emma Xerri
Jan 15th, 23:20
Oh how cute NOT. It amazes me that these people, while they seem to have no energy or aptitude for work, unless in the form of war, always have to time to procreate and then it is someone else's problem.
Some of you might think this is politically incorrect, but since I am not a politician or aspire to be one, then I should have the right to say it as I see it. Political correctness is just a euphemism for censorship.
Leave 'political correctness' to the politicians peaple and let us the people start calling a spade a spade.
Maria Muscat
Jan 16th, 08:34
Technically this is not about being politically correct, this has more to do with values and humanity, which you appear to lack. And your persistent babbling through the last two sentences have no relation to the first sentence. Granted you have the right to say it as you see it however there is such a thing as compassion. You can now rant back but be aware I have no interest in debating with you as you seem to lacxk the intelligence of discussing such a topic.
Dorielle Soler
Jan 16th, 09:10
Dear Ms Xerri, as a woman yourself I might have (erroneously, it seems) expected a modicum of empathy for a woman giving birth in these dismal conditions. A birth is always a birth is always a birth. I am the last person who could ever be accused of political correctness, but amazingly I still retain a basic sense of humanity towards my fellow creatures and without any sense of cuteness whatsoever present in me, II especially extend it towards a helpless new born. I only got to comment number two and won't read any further because the outpourings of spite towards others gets my gall so early in the morning. And no, I am non religious and no, I am not Nationalist. Just, you know, a run of the mill woman with normal human instincts. Unlike many.
akrim mamood
Jan 16th, 10:20
Naughty! A spade is a term for blacks in UK!!!!!! Still, you are dead right
Kenneth Galea
Jan 15th, 22:51
@Emma Xerri
Thank You for your support.
@DO-Gooders,
Do not play the race card anymore. Gone the days that one is vilified because he/she comments against this illegal invasion from these migrants. Libya is safe now, CMB and Gonzi should have sorted this out years ago like Mr Berlusconi did with Gaddafi to send them back. This is only January! These illegals dear bloggers are making our life a misery especially in the coming year because we are faced with austerity measures and cuts. At the end of the day Carm and his boss GONZI are liable to this rough justice and I really hope you are outsted once and for all from that 'power seat' the sooner the better!!!!!!
carlos ellul
Jan 15th, 22:21
We're expected to finance Greece's mess and we're also expected to FORCE immigrants to stay in Malta even though they want to go to mainland Europe. 67 new illegal immigrants and we're still in January.
If we continue this way we can well end up close our parliament for good since every decision made is taken by the Brussels big guys.
Joe Fenech
Jan 16th, 00:07
One day someone will pay for Malta's mess too! The EU ignores us because we bear no weight over the international scene.
carlos ellul
Jan 16th, 08:54
We're building our own mess since we're living beyond our means to appease everyone. Take this issue as an example. How many illegal immigrants can Malta integrate successfully? I believe that the government has the duty to save EVERYONE. On the other hand he also has the duty to see that we're not keeping more immigrants then we can afford. Doing such thing will hinder both locals and immigrants alike.
Peter Agius
Jan 15th, 21:52
Welcome to the world, dear child.......here you are safe......irrespective of what the racists say.
mark borg
Jan 16th, 21:26
bla bla bla Agius...nahseb trabbi xi tuzzana trabi qieghed int mil -Affrica .
Ovvja li-tarbijia naghtuwha il-kenn la qieghda hawn issa...pero ma jistax jkun li nibqu nghijxu lil-eluf ta immigranti illegali li qed ikollhom mijiet ta trabi hawn...Ahna il-pajjiz zghir u ma nistghux insalvaw id dinja...min irid juri kemm hu generuz jista jibda billi jiftijhem mad dipartiment tat taxxi u jhallas forsi bil-50% taxxa....imma ghal paroli vojt nies bhalek l-ewwel jiehdu u umbghad addio ! Kif jghidu bl ingliz Peter...PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS ! qabel tilghaba tal-qaddis !
Simon Spiteri
Jan 15th, 21:10
Can anyone explain to me how could a forign national raise the alarm from Malta ? Are the police investigating how the occupants of this boat got into contact with someone living in Malta?
Colin Stanley
Jan 15th, 20:56
@ M. Azzopardi. Are you saying that our women should start sleeping around with these guys,? please publish my comment.
J Craig
Jan 15th, 19:15
Is Joseph Muscat still of the same opinion? Should we do like Italy did with immigrants? Shame on you Dr. Joseph Muscat.
mark borg
Jan 16th, 21:35
Shame on you J .CRAIG and leave Dr Muscat out of this ...it is your spinless govt that inundated Malta with illigal immigrants ! So the whole country on payday (very shorthly) will owerwhelmingly vote for Dr.J Muscat,irrelevant what his opinion is, because 1.Their number exploded under a spinless and EU yes men of a GonzoPN govt and 2.It was dr Gonzi that was supposed to act throughout this EXODUS as he was the Prime Minister (unfortunately for the Maltese)
Mr Ernest Vella
Jan 15th, 19:10
welcome to Malta and congratulations for our Armed Forces...ghax x'jiswa jingabru 2.6 Million jekk umbat ma naccettawx lil dawn hutna fil-bzonn!!!
A Cardona
Jan 15th, 22:07
You are right... but the problem is that our resources are quite limited..... very limited and the real ones who should be helping in Brussels are just taking us for a ride.
Also this first arrival in 2012 is proving that the insinuations that were said about the ex-Libyan leader were all a bunch of lies.
mark borg
Jan 16th, 21:39
Kemm int Socialist int qed nghid...Ma nistax nifhem biss kif il hin kollhu tikteb favour il-PN pero ...ghax li ktibt issa huwa Socialismu 100% extrem...pero ironikament miktub min Nazzjonalist ....jigifieri ma jghamel sens ta xejn.
laurent caruana
Jan 15th, 18:47
Certain people are full of racial hatred
Charles W. Sammut
Jan 16th, 08:31
How original, playing the race card! But even so, I'd rather be called "racist" than "stupid".
Antoine Vella
Jan 16th, 14:01
Charles, you could be called both, perhaps.
mark borg
Jan 16th, 21:40
Nahseb trabbi xi tuzana trabi mil Affrica Laurent e......
Louis Gialanze
Jan 15th, 18:37
Libya is now a safe country and a land of business opportunities. That's exactly the message we often hear from our leaders. It therefore follows that the aliens have a much better chance of making a better life over there than in the old, aging and debt laden Europe. At the rate our european friends are sharing our burden one is forgiven to think Malta joined the African Union instead.
Repatriation and repariations should be on the agenda of any Maltese - Libyan bilateral talks.
T Gauci
Jan 15th, 18:10
And this is one of the reasons among others why i am not going to vote for the PN.
Kenneth Galea
Jan 15th, 18:49
Exactly. Who blames Franco Debono when he talks against CMB. The great Carm who made a mess in our immigration and asylum system right from the beginning. Carm where are you???? Have you gone into hiding? There are no excuses not to send back now to Libya. But Carm prefers to remain silent because he is a complete failure as Franco Debono rightly says.A year of cuts and austerity measures to feed these illegals. No Carm this is NOT on and please I urge the Times to publish my comment, let's move away from this political correctness farce. I've already sent two comments on this article and have not been published because it shows a complete failure of duties from Carm and his boss.
Alfred Cassar
Jan 15th, 19:31
Would you vote for PN if these poor people are sent back to their undemocratic and dangerous country? I would prefer you vote for whoever you want but we continue to help and save these people's lives.
Shame on you to use human live to threaten with your vote, sham
Giov DeMartino
Jan 15th, 20:10
and what are the other reasons?
Emma Xerri
Jan 15th, 21:40
@Kenneth Galea
Do not hold your breath waiting for The Times to publish any articles they see as a threat to the 'Status Quo", especially if they are well argued and based on empirical evidence. I have experieced this and others have to first hand. So much for freedom of speech and freedom of thought - anyone who dares cross thee multiculturalist, political correctness line will not be heard. We are living in a fascist world my friend.
And to the people commenting here who either through misplaced kindness, religious zealory or guilt, or a combination of all, feel that we have to welcome and make room for more welfare recipients and human detrious from wherever they wish to come, to these people I say, you are the authors of your own demise.
carlos ellul
Jan 15th, 22:36
Dear Mr Cassar we had voted for a party which signed a deal (Dublin 2 ) which FORCES immigrants to stay in Malta even if they don't want to stay here. This deal doesn't care if immigrants have family in Europe and they will never meet them and if these poor people decide to leave Malta and are caught they end up returned to Malta and arrested. So please get off your high horse. Our politicians have already sold our/immigrant's future just to appease the EU big guys
Graham Holme
Jan 15th, 22:46
Well said Emma
Like Enoch Powell stated many years ago.
"Welcoming these illegal immigrants with open arms,we are building our own funeral pyre"
How right you were Mr Powell
Charles W. Sammut
Jan 16th, 08:29
Same here.
I will not be voting for GonziPN mainly because of his betrayal of our interests in the face of illegal immigration, Valletta can easily be mistaken for Mogadishu. Another reason is the atrocious state of the roads and another reason is the absolute waste of a hundred million euros building a parliament that is not needed and ruining the entrance to Valletta. Yet another reason is GonziPN's total servility to the EU and the Vatican.
Enough reasons Mr DeMartino?
Plenty more if you want. How about GonziPN being the most socialist party Malta ever had? Rewarding irresponsibility and penalising with taxes. licences, permits and general bureaucracy those who are stupid enough to try to be entrepreneurial? Not to mention the waste of almost €3,000,000 for the breakwater bridge which is already showing signs of damage.
More reasons will undoubtedly surface as more and more bovine excreta hits the fan in the run up to election day.
Giov DeMartino
Jan 16th, 11:50
Mr Gauci..are you still looking for 'other reasons'?
T Gauci
Jan 16th, 16:08
@Giov DeMartino
That's up to you to find out.
Giov DeMartino
Jan 16th, 17:37
NO Mr Gauci. YOU mentioned them so it is up to you to find them. Personally I have several reasons for voting GonziPn once more. You have chickened out.
S.M. Cuschieri
Jan 15th, 17:36
on another note....Prosit to all of the members of the Maritime Squadron. I know what dedication you posess to deal with such cases. And at your own detriment. Prosit and thank you.
Emma Xerri
Jan 15th, 23:16
Prosit xejn. More burdens for you and Malta to carry.
And if it was an Italian ship that first rescued them, then the Maritime Squadron should have took them to Italy and not brought them here to Malta.
Giov DeMartino
Jan 16th, 17:09
@ the fool who rushed in where MR Gauci feared to thread
In spite of the 'absolute waste of hundreds of millions...'In spite of taxes, permit and licenses...in spite of everything...under PN administrations our standard of living is, certainly, amongst the highest in the world. This is a fact and there is no need for me to prove it. Have a look around you and see for yourself. Watch the foreign news anytime, any day and confirm what I am saying. Talk to those Maltese .who live abroad and see what they have to say. There is NO place like Malta. The fact that YOU think that the bridge, parliament etc are waste of money doesn't mean that YOU are right. The govt has to decide and whatever he decides, like a football referee, he will have to face applause and whistles. No one can please everyone, but it is the government to decide. We have a very high standard of living, a prosperous country in spite of all the problems that we had to face and we have democracy which was nonexistent up to 1987..If you are not satisfied I can write volumes about labour's frightful past. It is not fair to criticize the govt for the state of our roads, but compare the situation today with that of the past. I have against the arrival of these illegal immigrants, but what is YOUR solution? Send them back and let them drown? As for Gonzi's 'servility', give me concrete facts, please. I have answered all you questions. The ball is now in your court..
T Pace
Jan 15th, 17:28
Why has it not been possible for the police to arraign such human traffickers including the one/s on board the boat?
Did the migrants find the local alien's telephone number on the yellow pages
Unless police interviews are restricted to the investigation of crimes committed on Maltese soil, such arrivals should be thoroughly investigated. With such a large number, the Police ought to find sufficient discrepancies in their statements to enable them to identify the human traffickers.
Mr Joseph Micallef
Jan 15th, 16:47
Clearly these illegal emmigrants are economic emmigrants. Since when is Malta obliged to accept such people who are outside the E.U.? Whoever accepts them is not going to take my vote for sure!
Charles W. Sammut
Jan 15th, 16:42
56 nautical miles south-west of Malta is closer to Lampedusa. Imma din id-darba t-Taljani ceduhomna. Xi hlew!
carlos ellul
Jan 16th, 07:28
They'll probably give us a certifikat iehor mil Unjoni Ewropeja which would make our PM proud of it.
Joe Grech
Jan 15th, 16:18
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi should do Malta a good turn and return each and every one of the illegal economic arrivals the way they came from - to Libya. He should do that NOW possibly before his administration is no more.
Alfred Cassar
Jan 15th, 19:28
Would you do that question to Joseph when he becomes PM (unfortunately for all of us)?
carlos ellul
Jan 15th, 22:39
Don't set high targets to this poor government. It would probably be over the moon if Denmark takes 4 of them.
Martin vella
Jan 15th, 15:05
If I enter a foreign country illegally don tI expect to be deported.Why should it be different to these people?
akrim mamood
Jan 16th, 10:31
Why, have you tried it!
patrick atkins
Jan 15th, 14:23
Jekk nibdew nibaghtuhom lura forsi l-kelma bejniethom tigri u ma jibqghux jaqsmu, Inqas sogru ghalihom u anqas ugih ta ras ghalina.
Ms.D. Galea
Jan 15th, 13:16
In the meantime, Mr Libyan ambassador in Malta might be so kind as to enlighten us Maltese about what is actually happening inside Libya that makes people PREFER FACING THE RISK OF DROWNING IN THE ROUGH SEAS , RATHER THEN STAYING IN PRESENT DAY LIBYA.
And who is now making money in Libya out of this human trafficing ? Ghaddhafi is now dead and buried so he cant be blamed.
Thank you
j brincat
Jan 15th, 13:12
Deja' vue!
When will it end, if ever!
(jb)
Maria Azzopardi
Jan 15th, 13:07
Good! We need some multiculturalism on this island, save us from inbreeding
Louise Vella
Jan 15th, 12:05
68 illegal immigrants in January, that is, the season of rough seas and bad weather. How many of them will come in spring? How many of them is Malta obliged to carry because of humanitarian reasons and Christian values? Yesterday we read on www.timesofmalta that Denmark, the EU Danish presidency, refuses to take any of them off our back. Of course, UNHCR and its Malta chief-of-station, the Norwegian Jon Hoisaeter, will not take any of them to Norway either. Maybe the Swede Cecilia Malmstrom will take some of them and send them to Sweden? Some hope. In the meantime NGOs will keep pressing Malta to open up its borders to illegal immigrants. And if we don't, they will force open our borders thanks to traffickers in human beings.
Sean Grima
Jan 15th, 12:38
are you alleging that NGOs are in league with human traffickers?
Ms.D. Galea
Jan 15th, 13:09
Maybe you can enlighten us with what the Humanist values espoused by local Atheists are, re these unfortunates who must have been pretty desperate to risk the elements in order to escape from Malta.
Should they have been left to drown?!!!
laurent caruana
Jan 15th, 18:46
I don't judge criminality by the colour of the skin like you do Ms.Vella.
John F. Galea
Jan 15th, 11:39
They embarked from Libya and that is where they should return to. Libya is not persecuting them and they may have better opportunities in finding jobs there.
Now that the fever of an early election is looming over our island I am all out to read in any party's electoral manifest that a firm stand be taken towards the repatriation of illegals to where they have embarked from. The electorate should be guided by such earnest promises.
Karl Consiglio
Jan 15th, 11:11
Welcome to Malta
M Cachia
Jan 15th, 10:47
These people are just hoping for a better life. I would do the same if I were in their shoes. I don't mean that we shouldn't act according to our laws but I agree that they should be treated fairly and given humanitarian aid until they come to leave Malta again. The hatred for these people must stop. Maltese people need to stop being hippocrates!
Carmelo Aquilina
Jan 15th, 12:58
I agree...
A Bezzina
Jan 15th, 17:37
Well said!
Adrian P. Cassar
Jan 15th, 19:52
In fact our laws state that people coming in asking for refugee status are not illegal immigrants. In this aspect our law is more Christian that the supposed Christians who spew their bigotry on this site.
I can assure you that all racists over here would leave our island by any means if our country becomes anything like Somalia!!!
Victor Pulis
Jan 15th, 20:39
until they come to leave Malta again.
That's just it. Will they leave Malta?They should be given all the aid they need including help to find a better life in some other country which can afford to keep them. Malta is not that country. We're lucky there's enough space for us on this piece of barren rock.
Karl von Brockdorff
Jan 16th, 10:34
What the hell is a hippocrate?
Joseph Ellul
Jan 15th, 09:58
I cannot understand why these Africans are still coming to bankrupt EU. There is nothing there. Malta can barely feed itself. Greece is bankrupt and already people are dying from desease and suicide. Italy is run by the Cosa Nostra. Tell these boat gypsies that they are late for the party and send them back on their merry way. Give them a few hundred Eu each. This will make them happy and will not be worth much by the time they are back in Libya or wherever they come from.
matthew tanti
Jan 15th, 11:22
int bis-serjeta jew? ma tisthix titkellem hekk meta hawn nies litteralment imutu bil-guh?
Alistair Busuttil
Jan 15th, 16:14
nies imutu bil-guh hawn mad-dinja kollha u ma nistghux insalvaw lid-dinja kollha.Haqqhom id-dinjita kollha sakemm idumu f pajjizna minghajr mibgheda lejhom pero hawn go pajjizna m hawnx post ghalihom semplici
B Attard
Jan 15th, 09:22
Ghadu Jannar ahseb u ara .....!!!
Anthony Pace
Jan 15th, 09:11
Send them back now that relations between Malta and Libya have improved.
Michael Borg
Jan 15th, 09:06
prepare feree electricity , water , opps hot water , heaters , food , mobile cards, police , soldiers ( their pay) , hospital , work with out ppaying tax and NI , crimes, and the lists goes on . while we strugle to make ends meet !!! charity begins at home
Charles Alamango
Jan 15th, 08:57
We sincerely hope that the authorities will send them back to Libya as soon as they can travel. Now there is no conflict and Libya needs thousands of workers to re-build their infrastructure. The least authorities can do is to investigate the reason they left Libya and what are they running away from. Hopefully they are not mercenaries running away from justice.
Giovanni Rizzo
Jan 15th, 08:49
There is no fear of Gaddafi regime anymore,so after the routine treatment they should be sent back to Libya.
F Goodwin
Jan 15th, 17:19
They have much more to fear from the new regime. Gaddafi hired sub-Saharan African mercenaries to kill his people. As a consequence, Libyan people have been mistrustful and violent towards black Africans in Libya. This affected many innocent workers who had to flee, at least partly causing the mass migration. Just a few weeks ago the BBC was reporting that many black African people were being imprisoned and tortured by the new regime on dubious suspicions that they were mercenaries for Gaddafi. Obviously we don't know anything specific about these 25 people yet, but I don't think a pregnant woman would get on such a boat unless there was a life or death reason compelling her.
V. Cauchi
Jan 15th, 08:44
Please note. Legally we cannot call them illegal immigrants. They were found at sea, and the article does not even say whether they were in Malta's territorial waters. Moreover, we do not know whether they intended landing in Malta, but even so, they would not become illegal immigrants before actually landing in Malta. For now they can only be classified in terms of the documents they carry as to their nationality or any other status, or as aleins or fugitives if they cannot prove their status. Lawyer's logic.
george vassallo
Jan 15th, 09:08
it doesn't matter, they are coming to our shores which means that they get to stay here for a very very very long time!!
Joe Grech
Jan 15th, 16:27
V. Cauci, stop inventing rubbish - tghidx cucati! Anyone who lands in Malta without proper identification and without our country's preliminary acceptance is an illegal arrival. Be he from Africa, Eastern Europe, China or wherever.
This incident comes at just the right time since it will remind the Maltese of this administration's miserable record in illegal immigration. Carm. Mifsud Bonnici did nothing but bend his knee to Cecilia Malmstrom who sought always to call the shots. Without of course making her own country Sweden accept to share the problem!
Europe has spents MILLIONS as a result - no wonder it is sinking financially! The E. U. bosses failed to put Europe's own interests first and foremost - they sought to look humanitarian and let UNCHR dictate what they should do. Inefficiency and irresponsibility all round.
V. Cauchi
Jan 15th, 19:29
@ Joe Grech
The comment clearly shows that in his haste to launch political invective, the commentator has misunderstood the purely legal content of my note. I only did it with all good intent, before being reminded by the Pope that today is Migrants Day, to remove the tarnish of "illegality" from the status of these human beings.
carlos ellul
Jan 16th, 07:30
Consider the church's past and present (and the pope's past if you want to include that) Ill take things being said by this institution with a pinch of salt.
MALCOLM SEYCHELL
Jan 15th, 08:35
Send them back Malta, now we have a good relationship between GonziPN and the new sharia friendly transition government in Libya. Seems Gaddafi was right again. He is not to blame about immigration
Sean Grima
Jan 15th, 12:39
trid tkun miskin biex tiddefendi lil gaddafi!
JOSEPH ABELA
Jan 15th, 08:29
WE USED TO BLAME GADDAFI FOR SENDING THESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, IT'S SEEMS NOT.
Emma Xerri
Jan 16th, 00:25
The reason they keep coming is because the EU and other world leaders want them here. Gaddaffi was just doing their bidding.
M. Bezzina
Jan 15th, 08:28
They should be taken back to Libya.Libya is not under Gaddaffi anymore now!!!
D. Xerri
Jan 15th, 08:15
The Exodus Starts Again !
Patrick Zammit
Jan 15th, 10:18
It never stopped.
J. Debono
Jan 15th, 08:03
If they had no passport on them, they are ILLEGAL migrants, not just migrants as reported by TOM
Andreas Moser
Jan 15th, 08:19
How can a human be illegal?
M Vella***
Jan 15th, 08:32
@J. Debono,Ghandek ragun u naqbel mieghek perfettament,if they have no passport they are ILLEGAL.
george attard
Jan 15th, 08:50
To Andreas
It's the action which is illegal.
Please comment sensibly not just write the first thing that comes to mind.
Goats do that.
James Scerri
Jan 15th, 09:10
Of course they are!
If you go illegally to their country..they'll probably expel you...otherwise I won't even think about it!
Wenzu Vella
Jan 15th, 07:56
These are not immigrants, they are illegal’s. I was an-emigrant to Australia because I passed all the medicals and legal requirements before I left Malta.