Last week the Italian government promulgated a law making illegal immigration a crime. One might agree or disagree with this law, but I suspect that Mr Berlusconi, being a man of action, has tried to circumvent the advance of Islam into his country.

He has seen how this religion has taken over Britain where according to the British media there are no less than 85 Sharia courts creating a two-tier legal monster. Among the rulings there are some that advise illegal actions and others that transgress human rights standards as applied by British courts.

Furthermore, the internationally respected OECD has revealed that 71 per cent of new jobs during the last 10 years have gone to immigrants, creating a massive unemployment problem in the country.

Thanks to the Italian government, this summer we have been spared the arrival of at least another 2,000 illegal immigrants, but there are still some 9,000 of them living in our country.

If we really want to preserve our culture, our religion and our present lifestyle, these immigrants will have to be sent back to Libya from where they embarked or directly to their native countries.

There are already some 800 illegal immigrants working and taking our jobs. We must forget the so-called burden-sharing arrangement being negotiated with our brethren the European Union countries. It is a joke. The round of negotiations reminds one of one's favourite team hitting the post 10 times without scoring.

Nobody looks after our own country better than ourselves (that should be the norm). We must not rely on anyone to help us and therefore we must shake off our inertia and act.

It was our intelligent generation that established democracy and avoided our country being dragged into a civil war and anarchy in the 1980s.

These illegal immigrants should do the same for their countries. They should be given a course in democracy, given about €10,000 each and sent back to the countries from where they came. With a sum like that they would be glad to leave, particularly now that their dream of ending up in Italy has evaporated into thin air.

In the long run the sum of €10,000 for each person is cheaper than keeping illegal immigrants in our island with all the army looking after them.

I hate to think what we will do in an emergency such as an earthquake when all our valiant soldiers will be needed to help us.

In the meantime we are a kind nation and during the time that these immigrants are on our shores, we should treat them with all the kindness possible.