Last May, Amnesty International took it upon themselves to go to the defence of those illegal immigrants who find themselves in Malta seeking a better life for themselves in Europe and making life in Malta for many evermore difficult. I commented then, saying how easy it was to criticise a small country like Malta when Amnesty International should go to the heart of the problem.

Now we have the United Nations Group on Arbitrary Detention, under the leadership of (Rapporteur) Manuela Carmena, criticising our detention policy and raising concern about the immigrants' detention in an irregular situation. She also said that Malta's policy was not in line with international human rights law.

May I repeat what I have stated often before as to why such bodies do not go to Africa, the source of the illegal immigrant problem? Why don't they go to Zimbabwe, or to Uganda, or to Ethiopia, or to Somalia to find out why these poor souls want to leave their country of birth?

Why not go to North Africa to ensure that Libya's policy is in line with international human rights policy, and that these illegal immigrants are not sent on the dangerous trip across the Mediterranean?

Detention should be a last resort, but we are doing the best we can in difficult circumstances. We cannot afford to keep these unfortunate people running around the streets without financial support.

And of course the UN delegation had not a word of praise for the Maltese people, the Armed Forces, the police, nurses and doctors who are doing their best and will continue to do so for these people. But one thing must be made clear, we just cannot afford to keep them here longer than necessary.