Serious action is needed
With the summer season on our doorstep, the daily news is once again dominated by the arrival of illegal immigrants. At the outset of the season, the numbers that are being recorded already give rise to serious concern and it looks like we are in for a very busy summer.
This phenomenon is not new to the Maltese islands and the armed forces have been put under a lot of strain because of the influx of immigrants we are witnessing.
We have arrived at a point where talk of solidarity is not producing any effective outcome and where serious action needs to be taken if we truly want to help these people who seek a better life on the shores of Europe.
Since the start of this influx, which dates back to the early 1990s, when the former Yugoslavia and Iraq were plagued with war, there has been much talk about the need for European countries to share the burden. It is, however, very worrying to note that these good intentions have not yielded any tangible results.
While various exponents have complained about the conditions in which the immigrants are living and about the lack of facilities in Malta, they have not proposed any solutions to the problems at hand, apart from opening the doors of the detention centres. Unfortunately, this approach does not alleviate the problem of illegal immigration.
Concrete action therefore needs to be taken by those who are in a position to take it.
Throughout the years, the Maltese government has improved the facilities and taken measures to protect the dignity of immigrants on the island. Yet, the problems persist and it is evident that Malta cannot solve them single-handedly. In these challenging times, support from the European community is crucial.
The European Union is built upon the concept of solidarity and just like Malta has acted in solidarity with other member states in the past it should also be in a position to rely on support from the community with regard to matters like these.
The importance of ensuring the dignity of illegal immigrants has been highlighted repeatedly. However, reality proves that this is turning into a more and more challenging task, as the burden is becoming unmanageable for the Maltese islands.
Europe has to take a serious stand. The first step should be to support Mediterranean countries by sharing the burden that they are confronted with. The second is to make significant investments in African countries in order to ameliorate the living conditions on the continent. This would, hopefully, make it possible for people to lead a better life in their homeland, which, in turn, would reduce the numbers of those people who opt to embark on a perilous journey to the European continent, driven by the hope for more opportunities.
I have had several opportunities to visit both the detention and the open centers and while it is clear that the administrators and the authorities are doing their best to make these premises as accommodating as possible, it is also clear that our resources do not permit us to do much more. If we had to estimate the number of immigrants to expect this summer, based on the numbers we have recorded over the past two weeks, then we are in for a very serious situation.
Malta has made its voice heard in the European Parliament but the feedback was not as satisfactory as one would have expected. Unfortunately, the solutions that have been proposed thus far have not been sufficient.
Given that Frontex has not been as successful as many had hoped it would be, it is increasingly evident that a new approach is needed. The EU must act in solidarity and it must do so as soon as possible in order to prevent the situation from deteriorating.
The other European member states have to commit themselves to some serious burden sharing and that means providing concrete logistical, financial and political support.
Membership of the EU was and still is the best solution for Malta and the island vigorously adheres to the rules and directives of the EU. In return, it is vital for the EU to act in solidarity with Malta in these challenging times.
The immigrants that arrive on our shores are human beings who deserve to be treated with dignity and who should be assured of our support so that they can have a more promising future ahead. And it is up to the entire community to ensure that our joint solidarity also reaches out to those beyond our borders.
Mr Casa is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.
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Kurt Waschnig
May 31st 2012, 14:37
More and more refugees from Africa and other states arrive on a daily basis in Malta. Alone this morning a group of 65 migrants was brought to Malta after being rescued yesterday and 276 migrants arrived in a total of three boats on Sunday and Monday and Mr Casa is right that serious action is needed.
Human beings from various African countries leave Africa full of despair and hopelessness driven by one natural wish to arrive in Europe and to look for a better future and a peaceful environment.
I think of poor countries like Nigeria and other countries where people have no future, no legal rights, no jobs, no social welfare, no pensions, no medical health care , no education, no medical insurances, without a free media or an independent judiciary.
Children have no childhood, no hope, no future.
Those people are human beings like you and me and they have the same right for a life in dignity.
It is so easy to understand their feelings and thinking and their determination to do everything to leave their countries and to find a better life in Europe.
The influx of refugees started in the beginning of the 1990s, when the former Yugoslavia and Iraq were plagued with war.
There have been many talks about the need for European countries to share the burden. It is, however, very worrying to note that these good intentions have not yielded any tangible results.
This is a shame because rich countries of the European Union like France, Germany etc. could have done much more and it would have been easy to provide Malta with financial assistance to cope with the influx of refugees in order to offer them a better life in the beginning in Malta.
Malta is a tiny island and there is no doubt Malta has done so much for refugees.
Accommodate immigrants in detention centres is the wrong way and that should be stopped immediately.
There are lot of people who have complained about the conditions in which the immigrants are living and about the lack of facilities in Malta.
This is and was absolutely necessary because the human conditions for immigrants are unbearable at the detention centres in Malta.
Mr Casa says “they have not proposed any solutions to the problems at hand, apart from opening the doors of the detention centres. Unfortunately, this approach does not alleviate the problem of illegal immigration.”
Mr Casa it is the duty of the government to figure out solutions to improve the standard of living of refugees and to give them dignity and respect.
Detention centres are an affront against human rights and a democracy like Malta should get rid of them.
Immigrants will stay forever in Malta and therefore everything must be done to integrate them and to give them a broad future. They are human beings and must be treated with dignity and respect.
Best regards
Kurt Waschnig Oldenburg Germany
e-mail: [email protected]
John Azzopoardi
Jun 1st 2012, 01:31
what a naive man indeed you are. Let the Germans, the French and others take care of these refugees. Malta does not have the means and resources for this kind of influx. You should be ashamed of yourself for talking the way you did here.
james cairns
May 31st 2012, 14:34
You see what happens when you join the vile EUSSR? They tell what to do and when to do it! They simply don't care that you are a small densely populated island with limited resources. Don't think for one minute that you will be able negotiate with the EU, because they don't recognise democracy. The very idea of EU members thinking independently is a complete anathema to the EU, as you will soon find out! So when Malta is completely overrun with immigrants, just remember who got you into this mess in the first place!
GL Calleja
May 31st 2012, 12:57
Here we go again caught in a political dilemma instead on concentrating on a more pressing matter, and that is what is Malta going to do to stop the influx of illegal immigrants from invading our little, over crowded island? Right now that should be a priority before Summer settles in and the illegal immigrants start showing up in droves. This is a very serious matter and the parliament should be thinking about a solution. Judging from the last two weeks it is going to be a very hot Summer. Turn those boats around from where they came from or at least encourage these illegal immigrants to put better motors on their dinghys so they don't stall in the middle of the Mediterranean. What a coincidence that their dinghy develops a leak or their motor stalls as soon as they spot the AFM approaching? Give me a break. Talk about Organized Crime? The EU has done nothing but talk but refuses to do the talk. The EU should be stopping this illegal invasion of Europe and that includes Malta, right at the shores of Tripoli. How come we don't see the illegal immigrants until they reach our shores or stuck in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea? Where is the EU technology? We need action and no more lip service from the EU. Maybe Burlesconi should be running the EU. Why not invest money in the African countries so these people can stay in their homes? Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, but teach a man how to fish and you feed him for life.
Alfred John
May 31st 2012, 11:55
Alfred J. McEwen
Mr Casa - the real fact of the matter is that we Maltese don't want illegal immigrants in our country and your pandering to the EU is not doing anything to get rid of them. We have had a gut full of pathetic band aid solutions such as repatriating half a dozen odd illegals when they are invading our shores (yes Mr. Casa..INVADING) in their thousands. In case you are`nt aware of the fact that this is a very VERY small island with 400,000 souls practically sitting on top of each other, more people per square mile than you can poke a stick at, and all we need is illegal immigration to swell our numbers, added to the fact that it will eventually see the demise of our culture as we know it sometime in the not-too -distant future and we will thank you and EU policy for it.
John Azzopoardi
May 31st 2012, 11:34
Mr. Casa, Malta should make it clear that it will no longer accept any more illegal refugees for more than a week - to help feed them and shelter them, but then they are on their own to leave again. We can no longer sustain these large numbers coming to our shores. Maltese demand action immediately on this action. We have became the dumping grown of the mediterranean. This situation is not acceptable. We did not create this problem and we don't want this problem And please let no one tell me that we signed the dublin convention. This situation is now very alarming to our national identity and security. .
Peter Murray
May 31st 2012, 09:44
Same old same old.Serious action requires being demonstrably implemented and not interminable paroli biss as is the norm with the EU.Why not have another emergency meeting to solve this crisis like the financial crisis?Nothing tangible ever happens and the situation becomes progressively worse year after year but what do we do- bla,bla,bla.Its as Churchill said for we need war-war not jaw-jaw.
Chris Green
May 31st 2012, 10:24
Churchill said "To jaw-jaw is better than to war-war" on June 26th 1954.
Are you quoting some other Churchill?
Peter Murray
May 31st 2012, 15:28
Are you American by any chance Mr Green and don't do irony?Anyway Churchill Downs is in the USA will that do?
Louise Vella
May 31st 2012, 09:33
This long waffle does not tackle the key questions. Who has been encouraging the influx for the last 10 years? Do you think, Mr Casa, that those Sub-Saharan Africans waiting on the Libyan coast do not hear the whining by UNHCR, JRS and the others? Are Malta's so-called "obligations" infinite and unlimited? What is the number of illegal immigrants (out of the potential 1000 million who populate Africa) that Malta is "obliged" to take? If Sweden, Norway, Germany, Finland and the others have made it amply clear that they do not want the Sub-Saharans arriving in Malta, how can you expect them to agree to burden sharing? If nobody wants to share or carry the burden, does it not follow that the only effective policy the EU can follow is to stop them from coming and that Frontex has been so far not put to good use? Can you please answer these questions, Mr Casa?
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