First of all let me start by making it clear that immigrants, coming from whichever country, are human beings and are not inferior to us westerners.
They deserve to be protected from any violence, discrimination or racial hatred! Those caught treating these humans badly should be made to pay a bitter price in prison like any other criminal!
From my point of view, the problem of immigration is not the individuals per se but the authorities who seem to be completely impotent in the face of this ever-growing problem!
Shouldn't we have an immigration pact working right now? Didn't the minister claim that this pact would benefit Malta, in the sense that it would create a sense of urgency among the member states to help Malta? Where is the urgency? Who has come to Malta's rescue and taken a number of immigrants? How loud is our government's voice where it matters most to make sure that EU countries share a part of our huge burden?
Why have we become the Cinderellas of Europe with the much larger countries ignoring us while the UNHCR slaps our face over and over again, humiliating us before the international community? If the EU knows that we have no more space and is doing next to nothing to alleviate our problems, isn't it responsible too for the poor state the open and closed centres are in? Why does Malta have to put up with the kind of pitiful charades we were made to witness in Birżebbuġa when a group of illegal immigrants went ashore phoning and welcoming the immigrants on board a jam-packed boat?
Isn't it obvious that this is organised crime? Is it not obvious that these people wanted to come to Malta? Where is our maritime security?
Is it not serious that our authorities realise that a boatful of immigrants is on its way to Malta when it reaches our shores thanks to some onlookers? What about the much-vaunted Frontex? What is the government doing to make sure Frontex works? How many ministers and MEPs is it continuously nagging to see that the EU takes this operation seriously?
The problems are not these poor individuals who are fed a dream that does not exist. The problem is that our government, as proved by Lawrence Gonzi's utterings in Parliament, thinks this is not an urgent problem. In fact, he thinks that Joseph Muscat was being a touch too melodramatic when he spoke about the need for an urgent debate in Parliament. The problems are not the victims of this despicable crime. The problem is that Malta has everything but the promised strong hands on the rudder!