Monday, 1st February 2010 - 08:16CET
Angry Malta protests over new Frontex rules
Malta has raised strong objections to new Frontex operational guidelines and may even pull out of participation in patrols by the EU border agency.
The guidelines say that if it is not possible to return migrants picked up by Frontex vessels to the country they left from, they must be sent to the country hosting the Frontex mission.
Malta has always insisted that migrants rescued on the high-seas should be taken to the nearest port.
The guidelines were drafted by the European Council and will be discussed by the European Parliament.
They provide that Frontex units will first try to return migrants to the country from where the boat carrying them departed. When this is not possible, the migrants should be taken to the country hosting the mission, rather than the nearest port of call, as stipulated by international maritime laws.
The guidelines do make an exception. In the event of people being ill on board the rescued vessel, when there are pregnant women on board or if the boat is deemed to be unseaworthy, the migrants may be taken to the nearest port of call.
In terms of the new guidelines, should Malta host a Frontex mission, as it has done in the past two years, it will have to take all the immigrants rescued, even if they were picked up outside its search and rescue region and closer to other countries.
"We will still continue to follow our international obligations to the letter as we've always done but we will not accept changes to these international obligations," a Malta government spokesman said.
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Maybe we could also look at (the easy one first), which gender commits the most crimes, or most often has the idea to become parents for the social benefits.
Or which age group were the worst offenders then blame everyone between 24-35 years of age.
Or maybe look at shoe size as an indication of propensity to do things, blame size 9 feet for the problem.
Lets then take all people between 24-35, all those with size 9 feet and a particular gender, ghettoize them, treat them differently on the basis of their gender, age and /or shoe size, expose them to the discriminatory bile that is put forward by those with your mindset. Possibly, just possibly, statistically, they’ll become the group that causes problems.
Ridiculous idea? Of course it is, but no more ridiculous than yours.
"TLM: listen, i may be half your age, but i was not born yesterday, so cut this thing of you being the only person who can pontificate. in general multiculturalism works everywhere, including in malta "
I have news for you sean, you have not yet lived in a multicultural nation, as Malta is not multicultural no matter how much you dream on and wish it to be so. You can pontificate all you want about the wonders of illegal africans in our midst , but I cannot talk about the farce called multiculturalism? A farce that I experienced daily, while you where still a toddler. If you like the riots in north Montreal or the riots of the Parisian suburbs , maybe the riots of Milan is more your style, then multiculturalism is for you. People who have lived this reality know the truth and not culture destroying utopian liberalists who never left Malta, that swallow the myth of universal culture and think they have it all figured out.
On the contrary, the origins of Nazism and kindred philosophy is not immaterial to me as this ties in very well with the ‘multicultural’ agenda being promulgated amongst the Western nations this century.As I see it, your so called equality of peoples is a very cleverly disguised plan to install a Right Wing agenda, hiding under Christian Charity and supported by mainstream Religions,to sow the seed of discord around the world,thereby destroying nationalism and nations, with the end objective being to have everyone being a sub-human or at best a semi-citizen which such euphemistic titles such as Italian-Australian, Somali-Canadian, Greek-Australian and so on, with only the White Supremacist being the true full-fledged citizens with a right to Ruler into perpetuity.
So yes,Nazism and it doctrine is very valid and fruits of it can already be seen in the stratification of classes found in South and Central America, and now in America and Canada itself.Europe is still a work in progress and I am very suspicious of people who come out with flat out platitudes about immigrants and multiculturalism for at best they are either naïve dolts or at worse paid shills of the Ruling Elite class.
Multiculturalism does not work ANYWHERE. Even the late PM Pierre Trudeau, one of the first champions of multiculturalism in Canada had great misgivings about it at the end.
I can vouchsafe to you that in the cities of Canada, the original and founding northern white population have all moved away to be with their own kind in small far northern communities, as the cities became enclaves of ethnic ghettos, where even if you lived there for a hundred years, you would still be a stranger and viewed with suspicion by the other ethnics all around you. Never mind the socio-economic reasons why multiculturalism was invented after the last world war, (mainly to break up nationalism and as a source of cheap labour for the Capitalist machinery), it makes for a sad, lonely and solitary life and existence in a land overflowing to capacity with masses of humanity that all wish to re-create the very conditions and cultures that they supposedly ran away from when they emigrated here.
Then explain to me why, as a worker in Family Court in a metropolitan, multicultural city in North America, where the Black population numbers only 8% (a mixture of native born Africans and Caribbean Blacks), comprise over 80% of our Family Court cases. The cases are always the father, will wanting children from different women, point blank refuses to support and maintain them. Why, just last week, a Black colleague of mine told me that she is positively ashamed of her men-folk, when she saw the obvious, and told me that would not allow any of her children to get involved with a Black men. They expect to be the baby fathers to as many children as possible but not the baby parents. They want the State to support these children, which it does. How is that for building a thriving nation? The city is already $3.5 Billion in debt because of the welfare rolls.
The situation/percentage ratio is similar in the Criminal Courts too. And make no mistake about it, these people did not come here as slaves, but where given every opportunity to succeed using taxpayers dollars. the facts and statistics speak for themselves.
Some may argue that the Africans (or any other groups)worst enemy is people with attitudes like yours, whether those people are white, brown, green or blue. Protestantism is not synonymous with high living standard, unless of course you are now also claiming that your superiority is enhanced by your religious background.
Your belief that you belong to and are therefore superior to any other human being is arrogant in the extreme and as a white, Northern European, Protestant I find your mindset nauseating.
The origins of Nazism are immaterial in the context of this discussion, what is relevant is the similarity of the beliefs. Its attitudes like yours that have cost so many people so much in the past, thankfully those that have the same ideas and beliefs as you are in a minority, and an ever dwindling one at that.
Of course all the things I have mentioned in my previous blog are happening today as we speak. Just because they are not being reported in the mainstream media, that does not mean they are things of the past. In fact, some of these things are so outrageous that they were actually starting to be reported in the BBC, CNN and other prime news reportage. Just do a quick google search for each topic and they will surely come up if you need any verification. And that Sean, is just the tip of the ice-berg - if you really care about human beings as you purportedly claim to do, then I suggest that the first thing you do is get your head from out of the sand and stop preaching moral relativism. Only a cruel sadists will claim that all cultures are equally valid and good. Pity those that get born into the 'equally valid' culture, like the man in Somalia recently who was publicly stoned to death for having a girlfriend
Would you say that all cultures were equally valid if you were in his shoes, God rest his soul?
The African's worst enemy is the african. Population control would help sub saharan africa immensely for a start.
You mention Nazism and the mafia, please do some research on both these subjects and you will find all roads lead to that famous city on the seven hills and its infallible caesar.Protestant people have brought a high standard of living anywhere they went and settled, as evidenced by countries like Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It sure beats the fascisim of south american nations and the poverty of the central american ones, all products of their most holy and catholic Spanish and Portuguese founders and their legacy.
Are you sure you meant to address me, Sean? Nowhere on this comments board have I made any reference to the issues you are raising.
people in africa no longer live in the jungle - there are large cities and towns all over africa. whilst it is true that such practices have not yet been eradicated, they will usually survive in remote villages which still cling to traditional way of life. for example, no 'modern' african young lady living in an urban centre would be married at a very young age.
notwithstanding, the study of african history and culture is an academically recognised subject, and we should not demean it by considering it inferior to ours, as it is not the case.
Oh come on now! I have had it with your myopic moral relativism. Do you mean to tell me that a culture that sanctions and condones child marriage (girls of 8 or 9 married to men old enough to be their grandfathers), the selling of brides to expiate family debts, a court ruling that the gang rape of a woman is a just punishment for a crime committed by her brother or cultures that demand the FGM of their girls or where women are from birth to the grave the property of a man (father, husband, brother or other a male relative), cultures that proscribe and carry out heinous punishments for things that are part of being human, such as falling in love or choosing your own religion or lifestyle, are equal?
Well, I believe sir, that if the god Moloch was still being worshipped, demanding the burnt sacrifice of a child each time, you would be the first out there defending the right of the Molochian cult to their religion and also stating that their culture was equal to a secular humanists culture the respects Human Rights.
I better not take up reading comic books. They would make me capable of moving "from point to point" in a discussion, and lose sight of the real issue. Good luck with your comic book reading.
Raymond, If you are incapable of following a discussion because it moves from point to point I suggest you take up reading comic books.
Just to clarify it (again) for you, the heading is irrelevant, my comments and therefore my point in the discussion with TLM were relating to the comments regarding cultures.
I have absolutely no doubt that you believe your own prejudiced ideas, probably much the same way as a certain high ranking Nazi had a strong belief in his own ideas including belonging to a master race, I just find it very sad that you choose to do so.
You are talking about one group of people within a culture, would you tarnish all those who may be culturally southern European, as criminals because of the mafia?
Any group of people who are marginalised or treated differently because of preconceived prejudices and bigotry will always cause problems, whatever ethnic, racial, religious group they be from.
Your white Protestantism is not a culture, as much as you may wish it to be so.
Some cultures are incompatible to live together with other cultures, as proven by real life experience that you sean lack in great quantity , so they should live in their own separate nations, what is so wrong about that? Why push the new world order agenda of multiculturalism on tiny Malta, and who benefits?
Africans have to start to make their huge and rich nations in africa, into safe habitable places instead of running away and bothering other people of other nations who do not want them.
Take any sub saharan nation and replace every african with a european of any nationality, and that country will blossom, I can guarantee it. The african mind unfortunately cannot seem to work in the fashion of the european and the sad results are to be seen in their nations decade after decade, so why import this mindset to tiny Malta, so tiny Malta can be transformed to a carbon copy of a failed african nation? Who benefits, not the maltese native and not the african invader.
You clearly need to be reminded that the heading of The Times article is "Angry Malta protests over new Frontex rules", which has got nothing to do with your "main point". Malta is objecting strongly to Frontex because the laws on border protection and immigration are applied by all countries universally worldwide, including those in the EU. They take precedence over Frontex rules. They have nothing to do with "reading books" or the cultural differences to which you are alluding. If Frontex acts contrary to these laws, then Malta has the responsibility to disengage from Frontex and adopt its own patrol procedures. All illegal aliens then need to be returned to point of origin with the assistance and cooperation from the source country. The onus is on the incumbent government in Malta to take this course of action or it can expect to be voted out of office at the next general election.
Indeed.
Good night
From your writings it is evident that you have nothing but contempt for the Western culture that you have chosen to live amongst. Why are you still here, when virtual Islamic paradises are at your beck and call, places like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and a host of others? Or do you form part of the silent 'fifth column' that is surreptitiously being built in every country in the West to install your world Caliphate?
Just because Malta is a member of the EU does not make us blind to the fact that it is the EU itself that is issuing these 'multicultural' policies, and that the "Eurabia' agenda that has been in the works for decades.
But make no mistake; this will only last until ordinary European citizens finally wake up to the truth about their governments' secret machinations that have gone for too long behind their backs. And the slowly but surely Europeans are coming to their senses, then you will see which culture and values are superior. Europeans, as always will show their true mettle - do not mistaken Christian charity or compassion as a sign of weakness. For those who did, died to regret it.
I lived awhile Detroit Michigan and then Toronto Ontario for many decades, White European Protestant christian culture is in my estimation superior to any afro based culture that I had to endure in crime infested Detroit neighbourhoods. The freedoms that I enjoyed were the results of a White Protestant culture as opposed to the roman catholic southern european culture of my birth place in Malta. My views on multiculturalism as I experienced it in decades of living in Toronto, is that its a failure and that a national community would be far stronger based on a mostly single culture and people as there is in Japan and South Korea . Anywhere I have lived in North America, crime is exacerbated when the afro culture moves in as I had to move house from the Jane and Finch area of Toronto, as crime shot up with the arrival of Jamaican immigrants& their afro based culture. My workload in Criminal Court also shot up dramatically with the arrival of these people, coincidence, I think not.
Actually Raymond my main point was about the statement about cultures, creation and equality and the subsequent problems that small minded attitudes then cause.
You’re more than welcome to protect your border as you see fit. However if you (by you I mean Malta) want to engage with and be taken seriously by the rest of the world then you cannot put forward (as a serious argument) that your border protection and immigration laws should be dictated by the colour of someones skin or what culture they come from or any other similarly absurd notions.
Whether you like it or not, currently Malta is a member of the EU and therefore is expected to follow some laws, which you may or may not agree with, and behave in what most would describe as a civilised manner. Judgements based on a persons culture are not.
And regarding France I’m sure if they want to launch criminal investigations, good luck to them, Malta I’m sure has the same right.
“These are universal laws applied by all countries worldwide”. On the basis that one culture is superior or inferior to another? What books do you read?
Regarding population density OK. However you base your entire theory on equal cultures on aesthetics and building quality? What is your “culture”? Judging by your comments you think your culture is superior (I’m assuming you are not arguing the point for your culture being inferior) to others and by association, that you are superior to those from within a cultural base that you deem not equal.?
I too have lived in a multi-cultural society for 95% of my life and have seen and experienced the massive benefits of doing so, where people are not judged on what colour they are or where they come from, but on what they can contribute to society. Crimes and criminals come from all walks of life, all colours, all religions, all sexes, all hair colours. No go areas are created by marginalisation of groups of people not because of what culture they come from.
In my opinion people from countries or cultures who believe themselves to be “better” are the ones we need to be careful with.
Indeed, Malta needs to engage and be taken seriously by the rest of the world, claims such as yours are not conducive with that process.
Yes not all cultures are created equal, If that was the case Mogadishu would look like Florence and Florence would look like Mogadishu. Malta is not a place for illegal immigrants of any kind or legal ones for that matter, It is a tiny 122 sq. mile barren rock of a place that has has some of the world's highest population density in the world, if anything Malta should be still getting rid of surplus population through legal migration to other lands as in past decades. Malta does not need the multicultural experiment shoved down its throat to engage the rest of the world, as we been engaging the world for thousands of years just fine without multiculturalism. Anyways, who voted for this multiculturalism,was there a ballot for this social engineering program given to the public? I have personally lived in the multicultural experiment abroad and it is an abject failure, it is a clever way for the elite to hold on to power by having the un-unified common man argue amongst themselves in their little ethnic divisions.
You are clearly making a seriously flawed and an unfounded allegation. The issue here is border protection and immigration laws. These are universal laws applied by all countries worldwide. The Maltese people should not be accused of "isolation" for wanting their government to apply these laws like everyone else. For example, only a month ago, the French boarder was violated by a human smuggling mother-ship which is said to have dumped 124 illegal aliens on Corsica. The French government immediately announced a criminal investigation. The Maltese government, on its part, experienced these type of activities all too frequently for more than two years. I have no recollection of the Maltese government ever announcing an "investigation".
“Not all cultures are created equal” – It astounds me that anyone can be so arrogant as to make a statement like that. It is you who lives in a Never Never land fantasy world, thinking that this country can, on one hand can engage with the rest of world through the likes of EU membership, when it suits, and on the other lift the drawbridge, pull up the shutters and close off this little island to live in isolation. You love to throw up your little examples of where you claim the multiculturalism has failed, and pay no heed to the vast majority of situations where it is a success, where small minded people are in a, very small, minority.
I’m sure you will continue to take whatever statistics you like and interpret them in whichever way benefits your way of thinking, however illogical it may be.
Until people stop marginalising others there will always be problems, attitude like yours exacerbate these problems and thankfully that same attitude is slowly disappearing both here and abroad.
Your basic problem is that you have a Peter Pan fantasy world view were you think all cultures can live together, were as in the real world they are not compatible to live near each other .
Not all cultures are created equal. Blogger have already told you many times over, it is not the skin colour it is the culture that is incompatible. The statistics and their interpretation are not arguable.
When you are being mugged on a Detroit street or any no go areas these cultures have created, are you going to tell yourself that you studied these cultures in depth and this cannot be happening? How naive are you, you invent things to excuse a non compatible culture, no matter what the older experienced people have told you. You are not convincing anyone sean.
You stated:
“Your arguments are based on a stereo typed, prejudiced basis. anyone arguing that people have criminal tendencies because of the skin colour and race/ethnicity is not taken seriously in today's world.”
I have news for you. Stero-typing is what is used in Marketing research and compiling Statistics. Yet, you do not even want to believe the legitimate crime rate figures given by Law Enforcement and other governmental agency from different parts of the world, using such data.
By the way, Blacks end up in violence and crime not because of their skin colour or discrimination (in fact, a lot of "positive" discrimination has been institutionalized in most Western countries for a while now) BUT because of their culture and values.
Malta does not want them either. So what Ray Sammut is saying is correct - Libya is a perfectly safe country for these people. Why can Libya not agree to any Conventions and uphold international agreements and laws, yet it is included with the rank and file of "Democratic" countries, and is invited to attend high summits with former pariah Gaddafi partying with the likes of Berlusconi and other big wig, both from the EU and the US. I guess having oil and money is more important and trumps all other consideration, with our hypocritical world leaders.
So the Libyans do not want sub saharan illegal migrants who are for the most part their moslem brothers, in their vast and under populated nation, yet you seem to think that we maltese should except them all into our tiny over crowded 122 sq. mile nation.
Something does not add up here. Maybe the Libyans have figured out something that you have yet to figure out sean."
Quote: "There are bilateral agreements between an EU state and a non-member state that provide for an asylum seeker to be sent back to the non-member state through which he or she
had transited. They have been heavily criticised for opening the door to serial refoulement." :Unquote -- Timothy J. Hatton
There are two issues here to consider:
1) The principle of "refoulement" is included in the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. But in Malta's case, returning illegal immigrants to Libya (transit country) would not result in refoulement since Libya is neither a "war zone" nor a "disaster area" (Refoulement definition). In fact, Libya is a gainfully employing country, and no-one would be in a position to criticize Malta.
2) One has to ask whether the Gonzi government, over the past two years, has ever sought a bilateral agreement with the Tripoli government.
Thank you for pointing that out Mr. Xerri, it is far worse than any one can imagine, only South Africa tops them in the murder sweepstakes and Liberia is in the running.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1737306.stm http://www.first-magazine.net/2008/05/jamaicas-murder-rate-how-bad-does-it-have-to-get/
http://www.first-magazine.net/2008/05/jamaicas-murder-rate-how-bad-does-it-have-to-get/
In places like Sierra Leone, Liberia and other sub saharan african ALL there is is black africans. So now you are saying that the blacks discriminate amongst themselves and that is why their community and nation is always in shambles. These people have to take responsibility for themselves and do not need spokesmen like your self to excuse their self made inequities on other races. Even Jamaica is populated by 91.2% blacks and they also must discriminate amongst themselves according to your anti white, anti european logic, and that is why their murder rate is 5 per week.
@Sean Grima
Have you ever lived in, Jamaica, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Detroit, Chicago, Compton in Los Angeles, the Malvern in Scarborough, Jane & Finch in Toronto, Bedford Stuyvesant in New York or any inner city in North America? If not, I invite you to a pleasant walk amongst your African friends in any of these areas.
No book reading will teach you more than an open-eyed visit to these districts. And the problem is not their skin colour either; it is the culture that they bring into a country. Namely absentee fathers who neither provide emotional or financial support to the many children that they produce from numerous partners. This in turn leads to children/youths growing up without positive role models. The result is an ever growing, geometrically increasing cycle of poverty/anger/despair leading to high crime rates and hosts of social ills. And no matter in which country these people are placed, the results are the same?
And this is not stereotyping either; this is statistics based and is glorified in Black pop-culture, especially Rap and Hip-Hop. Naturally, we all know exceptions; however the whole science of Marketing Research is based on categorizing/segmenting the behaviour of distinct groups
The Agenda is NOT dictated by common sense or the common good. When our own dear PM Trudeau in Canada started to build social housing in anticipation for the Black immigrants that were coming in from Jamaica. They already knew that these guys were not going to work two jobs, scrimp and save to put a down payment on a house like my parents and other European immigrants did.
Government also instituted laws to give Blacks an advantage, including a ‘first hire” policy for visible minorities, i.e. people of colour, got all the good paying Public Service jobs. The private sector was likewise instructed. Indeed some companies were afraid not to hire a Black person, even if they were not the best qualified, as they were afraid they would be facing a discrimination suit. It was hard going for those immigrants of European backgrounds and job adverts said outright ‘Whites need not apply”.
Now, forty years later, and even with these advantages, the Black community in Toronto, although they comprise less than 8.4% of the population are responsible for more than 35% of violent crime (Police statistics).
A secret “Agenda” more shocking than you can imagine.
You clearly need to elaborate more on what you mean by "long term agenda". For example, who set the agenda? How long is "long term"? How did you come to know about the "agenda" and why do you think "it's the only way"? Who are the professional advisers to prime minister Dr Gonzi on the integration policy of this long term agenda? Can you name at least one such adviser? How is Dr Gonzi informing the PN, Parliament, and the general public on the ongoing progress of the integration process? How long will it take Dr Gonzi and his government to achieve the long term agenda?
@guze xerri: your comments, like those of TL Mizzi cannot be taken seriously. you are trying to spin a international plot between the church, NGOs, Africans and some governments which are hell bent on destroying europe. you probably watch too many films.
These somalis have to start to rebuild their nation at some point, running away is not the answer, Malta was never a recipient of the Marshall plan as a British colony, we got war damage funds from Gt. Britain that is all. They, the muslims somalis do not have to be a sizable majority to cause the typical islamofascist trouble that is common to all nations where islam lives with an other religion, it is the nature of the beast. The Philippines and East Timor are a good examples. The fecundity of the Somalis is much greater that the maltese, they regularly have 8 to 10 kids especially when everything is paid for by the taxpayer in western christian lands(Go to St. Paul Minnesota and /or Toronto to see all this).Libya is NOT an unsafe country no matter how you want to spin all this, maltese people are coming and going to Libya all the time.You seem to just want to destroy Malta and its culture sean, why create a problem where none exists.
I lived the multicultural experiment for many decades and I can tell you it is a sham, a total failure, it is a clever plan by the elites to have the little man fight among other little men and they the elites hold on to power. Ghettos are naturally formed, I seen and experienced this myself, people like to live among their own kind, there is no enrichment, only rankle and distrust among different groups. Come to Dixon Road by the airport in Toronto and I will show you the Somali enclave and the apartment buildings they live in, fully subsidized by the tax payer while they live on welfare cheques. The idea of multiculturalism and a unified nation is an oxymoron, the Japanese and Chinese know this empirically. Amazing how the powers that be do not shove multiculturalism down their throats like they do to the western white nations.
The UNHCR is an arm of the vatican and this is all their masterplan and I would never believe their lies.
1. you are trying to compare two incomparable situations - malta was at war for a few years, not the decades somalia has been involved in war, and had the right institutional setup, and a marshall plan, which enabled it to rebuild.
2. in theory there might be conflict between christian and muslims, but in practice the numbers are too small and will remain so in the forseeable future, notwithstanding your doomsday scenarios. your reasoning that because of a hypothetical conflict, they should be sent back to their unsafe countries is fallacious.
The Somalis are very safe in Libya, and their muslim culture fits right in with the muslim Libyans. The Nigerian conflict between these two religions that you mentioned is reason enough not to inundate Malta with muslim Somalis, as that will be the future conflict with the maltese from the decedents of these muslim Somalis that to care so much about and want to flood Malta with more and more of them. Why create a future problem where non exists? Malta is not a place for immigrants of any kind, legal or illegal. It is way too small and with one of the highest population densities in the world. My parents never left Malta during the siege of the second world war, they toughed it out like a lot of other maltese, the Somalis better learn to solve their problems at home instead of bothering other people with their unwanted presence.
@TL Mizzi: you might want to ask somalis why they did not leave before! i am sure that if you were in their place, you would patriotically remain in your country, ravaged by war, crime, famine etc to try and rebuild it!! the biafran people could not leave biafra because it was blockaded by the nigerian forces throughout the war, which is the reason why biafra ended up collapsing. interestingly, the biafran people were mainly the Igbo people/tribe. They live mostly in southern Nigeria, are mainly Christian, and are still discriminated against by the northen Hausa/Fulani, who are mainly Muslim and who occupy most of the top posts. Consequently, although southern Nigeria is rich in oil, most of the Nigerians who leave their country are Igbo people.
Somalia is a long ways away from Malta, these people were in Libya for years working there. They were safe and sound, no one bothered them, so now we are suppose to accept all the population of Somalia via Libya in Malta because they have a war.
Malta suffered greatly in WW 2 , we did not all invade mainland europe because things got bad in Malta .
Who are you trying to fool !
@ charles grixti: the underclass you mention would be created if people adopt your attitude to immigrants and turn their backs to them.
The thousands that landed on our shore in small boats.. uncalled for and not wanted and without any papers are not legal immigrants, so way are you so keen to confuse the issue.
A tiny 122 sq. mile barren overcrowded island is not the place for immigration to.
Legal or illegal. Maltese immigrants went to countries that had a need for immigrants like Canada, the USA and Australia. We went there after many months of being vetted in Malta by gov't immigration officials of the countries we applied to go to. Police good conduct checks and health checks complete with chest x rays were mandatory. The selection was stringent , education and or a usable trade with qualification papers were looked at and noted.Once we landed in our host nation we were on our own and did not live on handouts and welfare services cheques from the tax payer of the host nation and there was NO free housing and free meals.
Any Landed Immigrant who fell foul of the law was deported to the country they came from.
Who are you trying to fool mr. grima?
1st - European Union
2nd - Government
Now we'll add Maltese employers to the list.
Oppressing the Maltese people.
There's a conspiracy round every corner according to some.
“I can assure you that some of the nicest people I have to know are African!”
But “niceness” has nothing whatsoever to do with it.
The fact is that Malta cannot sustain this influx of immigrants who all want to become permanent residents of Malta, with full rights of citizenship. Are you willing to cede your home, job and future to these people? The majority of Maltese are against this and will never accept it.
And as case after case where this ‘experiment’ has been played out, the results have always been sadly consistent the creation of a permanent and every growing underclass, social tensions, marginalisation, ghettoisation and a sharp rise in crimes. This has happened in country after country. Your living happily ever after “in perfect harmony” theory has not been borne out by experience.
And this is not ‘scaremongering’ and my doomsday scenario is based on empirical evidence.
@charles grixti: i clearly stated that I plan to have children, God willing, and repeat that it is none of your business, as your situation is none of mine. Consequently your hysterical comments are out of place. if at all, you should be feeling guilty for wishing to deprive these people the chance to improve their lives.
I am not looking to judge a person by their skin colour either. And I do have Black friends also.
But that is different than advocating for mass migration from Africa into Malta. Only a fool would think this is feasible.
And yes, one is able to judge how any cultural or ethnic group will behave. There are studies for example to see how well the Portuguese or Italian or Irish immigrants did in North America, especially the second generation of immigrants and there are big differences even within this "White" group, which all come from a European background.
Call it 'profiling' or call it good sense, but unfortunately, the problems that have already been elucidated by many bloggers here are based on facts and empirical evidence. We do not need any immigrants here, particularly African Immigrants.
This is all part of a global, Cabal, a well organized plan to break down any nation which is still homogenous. Only a few nations, like Japan, have resisted this and do not take in 'refugees'. They will not be made into a nation of immigrants and take their national identity and unity very seriously.
The only real and permanent solution to the immigration problem that nobody is talking about is to stop the unchecked human population growth that is eating up our planet.
And that is why even such noble, but ultimately misguided efforts by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for example, to eradicate child mortality through mass vaccination will have the opposite effect and create more hunger, poverty and suffering if not done in tandem with a serious programme of birth and population control.
So unless you are one of those ‘self-hating’ Maltese (selling out Malta and their culture) or have vested interest, such as being an organization or company that might benefit from mass migration (either through 'skimming' of direct funds or contracts for works allocated for these “immigrants” or to use as cheap labour), then you should be against immigration in this country.
Disposable humans –more ‘gun fodder” more “factory and construction site fodder”, an endless stream of work-horses to be devoured into the greedy belly of the Capitalist beast.
It kind of makes one wonder on which side of the rich/poor divide, organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others are really on.
From your comments to Louise Vella, it appears that you are in with the insatiable capitalists, who will exploit these ‘immigrants’ and pay them less than the minimum wage (sort of like some sub-humans). Does that not conflict with your equality theory?
Ironically, it is these subsistence wages which will guarantee a rightfully angry and exploited underclass. Are you willing to be a participant in this type of wholesale exploitation?
Furthermore, there is no such a thing as a job that the Maltese do not want. If the employers were willing to pay a fair and equitable wage, the Maltese are more than ready and willing to work. But of course, the employers will never do that now that they have a steady stream of illegal immigrants whose poverty they can exploit to further enrich themselves.
I have news for you. It is your children who will become then new immigrants as they will be uprooted from their ancestral home by the newcomers you are so keen to welcome into Malta.
Of course it matters whether one plans to have children. If one plans to remain childless then one would have a different vision of the world. It would be just their own immediate needs that really count for them, whether these needs be to naively and subconsciously assuage their guilt for being born white and in a relatively prosperous nation, or even to secure a place in the heaven for themselves in the after world, etc. (their selfish reasons vary from person to person, albeit always disguised as altruism and charity) - and do not have to think about what the future will hold for their children and descendants.
And not all will be intermarrying either, so your plans to turn the Maltese into a coloured African nation is not what is going to pan out. What is going to pan out is social chaos and upheaval.
So yes, your child/ren status counts and is 'our business' when evaluating such opinions like yours.
@TL Mizzi: i happen to know some nigerian people. what you point out is precisely the reason why they left the place - and they did so legally i.e. with a visa. you are wrong to assume that Ghanians did not come here with a visa. after all, scores of maltese go abroad to find a job with a better salary, though malta is a stable democracy with a very decent standard of living.
@emma xerri: my relationship is one of friendship. all i am pointing out is that one cannot judge a person simply by looking at their skin colour or ethnic origin.
Just because either yourself or someone from your acquaintance has a ‘relationship’ with one of these ‘immigrants”, well then good luck to you or to them.
This however, should not make you the “poster boy” for mass immigration (legal or illegal) from Africa or elsewhere.
" i do not move to lagos because these people are leaving the place!"
Ask yourself why they are leaving the place? It is the capital city of a very large and resource rich nation. Is it because of tribal violence along religious lines and the place is a chaotic mess like most of sub-saharan africa? What about Ghanaians , what is their reason for being in tiny Malta?
Ghana, a safe and rich nation known formerly as the Gold Coast, what is the problem there now?
Not too many free social services maybe? Sure seems alot of excuses for these illegals not to stay in their nation of birth and work hard to make their nations worth living in. And you Sean want to flood our tiny nation with these freeloaders and scammers. Yes, this tiny nation of your future children will be sure worth living in with this much imported genius, industriousness and tranquility, as can be seen in the countries these illegals came from.
Open your eyes for a change Sean.
I don't know how old you are, and in how many foreign countries you've lived and how many cultures you've lived with. Well, go to the big multicultural countries like France,UK , Germany...anyone native marrying into an African community is still looked down on.
Africa is a culture which won't change no matter how much efforts are made to help it evolve and get in touch with the 21st century.
Africa is a tribal continent, where sorcery, black magic and folk staff are still galore. People are racists in the sense that nothing else exists out of their tribe. They fight their neighbouring tribes let alone Westerners! In fact; go and see the problems their are with African gangs fighting against each other in the big cities!!! One needs to be worse that naive not to see it!!
Naive is the correct word to describe you.
I cannot fathom your reasoning or il(logic) to support such full scale invasion of your homeland. What do you think will happen in a few generations if these people are allowed to stay here? Do you think that your descendants will have a chance or will they be driven out by the new over-lords, that are coming in so meekly now? I think the latter scenario is a real and present danger and the one most likely to happen. But then it would be too late for you and your descendants, unless you are, and plan to remain, childless. In which case you have less right to speak for your fellow Maltese who would like to leave their country intact to their descendants.
Time will prove the wiser, but somehow I do not think it will be you Sean.
@TL Mizzi: you fail to point out that the same report states that nother 5,677 were granted subsidiary and 17 temporary humanitarian protection, thus not making them economic migrants. i do not move to lagos because these people are leaving the place! otherwise, i can assure you that some of the nicest people i have to know are african!
How dare you always go against your own countrymen and favour the illegal invader. Have you no love for your own land and its native born citizen.
The majority are economic illegal migrants and nothing more.
As reported in the Times of Jan 19th, 232 out of 10629 illegals were accepted as genuine refugees in 7 years !, See for yourself: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100119/local/few-migrants-accepted-as-refugees
122 sq. mile overcrowded Malta is not the place for immigrants of any kind.
Any honest government of any stripe can see that illegal migrants cannot keep coming here at infinitum. If you like to be surrounded by africans and/or their culture Sean, why not move to Lagos Nigeria, Mogadishu Somalia or Detroit Michigan and get your full dose.
LIBYA RELIES HAVILY ON EXPATRIATE MANPOWER , AND THE COUNTRY , HAVING RICH OIL RESOURSES WITH VULNERABLE INSTALLATIONS CANNOT AFFORD CLANDESTINES RQAMING AROUND UNCHECKED !
LETS STOP KIDDING, THESE MIGRANTS LEGALLY ARRIVED IN LIBYA ON AT LEAST A MINIMAL ONE YEAR WORK CONTRACT,
AS THE HUNDREDS OF MALTESE WORKERS IN LIBYA CAN CONFIRM .
What do countries do when they get invaded?
What do you mean by "prevent"?
These are all 98% economic illegal migrants who are pawns of the loyola society's plans of social engineering in european lands, all part of the continuing counter reformation agenda.
The maltese taxpayer has been taken for a ride for far too long.
Lawrence Mifsud,Oscar Cassar,Mario Attard We need to pull out not only from AFFRONTEX but from the eu before it destroys us and Malta.
@ louise - if immigrants are paid a lower wage, it is the maltese employers who offer that to them. they are mainly taking jobs which maltese do not want to do. the situation will not change if the party in government changes. thankfully the labout party has a more humane approach, as exemplified in this article. http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100129/opinion/little-maltas-aid-to-africa
In the meantime another news item in timesofmalta.com tells us that the number of jobless Maltese has almost reached 12 000. Do we need illegal immigrants to compete for jobs with the 12 000 Maltese who are unemployed? Do we need illegal immigrants to undercut the wages and work conditions of the 12 000 Maltese who are looking for a job?
I like the way they tackle certain issues. In a town in Italy today they banned the burqa and other veils arabs wear, 500euro fine will be given to arabs who wear it.
OUR GOVERMENT HAS TO ACT!!!!!!!
It is crystal clear that tiny Malta is being changed into one big concentration camp! All those who escape from here, are sent back and end up in prison. Wake up Malta.
Besides , the Libyan Govt. will be investing One thousand three hundred million euro in Tanks and Aircraft to fortify terrestial and aerial survaillance . So Frontex is again rendered useless !
Sometimes I have the ucanny feeling that we are so minute that we are taken for a ride.
What are the repercussions for Malta here once they build the Asylum Office in Marsa? Why Dr Gonzi is still sitting in Castille after thousands of illegal aliens kept entering Malta virtually with impunity over these two years while he kept hosting the "Frontex mission" -- which is headquartered in Poland?
No point in Gonzi making a big issue about the "nearest port" rule. This is an illegal activity, and thanks to his "christian values" he never made any effort to stem it. If the PN are not going to get themselves a new leader, this issue will continue to haunt them and they will have trouble retaining government.
The responsibility for this guideline must not be hidden behind an anonymous European Council. It must rest with the indivdual officers who made the proposal and others who agreed with it. They shouldhave the courage to identify themselves and justify their proposal. If not, our MEP's should ferret out this information so that we will know who are Malta's enemies. It needs no Solomon to arrive at the conclusion that someone wants Malta to pay dearly for hosting Frontex. Frontex is an EU body and its accountability is to the EU and not to the member state from which it operates.
You are reasoning like an extreme leftist! The European governments have been trying for ages to push the African governments to do their job for ages. But the African governments are not going to oblige, on the contrary they see it as intrusion in the internal political affairs of their countries.
Furthermore the African governments encourage immigrants to leave their country because they see these people as a source of income from the west. The majority of african coming to our countries are male and they send their money home to the afrtican banks. The government help himself by taxing this money and source corruption and their personal perks while leaving the people in poverty.
The best way to force the african governments to move is by sending the immigrants back so that they will force the government to change his ways! Problems should be tackled by the african people themselves not by westerners. Yes send the financial immigrants back!
In the meantime all Dr Gonzi's sermons about Christian values have landed Malta into ever greater trouble. He did not convince the Maltese and he convinced the EU even less. It's time Dr Gonzi showed some leadership and assured the common people of this country that he will put Malta's national interest before all considerations - including the interests of his beloved NGOs.
Wake up and smell the coffee guys . . . this is an opportunity that shouldn't be missed! It's really the solution to all our problems!!
Let another country host the Frontex mission and burden itself with the new regulations being proposed. I quote "The guidelines say that if it is not possible to return migrants picked up by Frontex vessels to the country they left from, they must be sent to the country hosting the Frontex mission."
We can sit back and when the boats arrive send them over to the Frontex host bases!!!
Everyone must be blind not to see the opportunity here . . . I always wonder if there's any gray matter in our leaders heads!!!
Perfect catch 22 - Thank you EU - Thankfully we do having voting power on other things.
By proposing this we have yet another confirmation how no country is really interested in the faith of this tiny island, as no one who has any common sense would propose to burden further this already over populated rock .
All Maltese except some quislings stand four square behind the government.
Mela mhux bhal ma qalu in Net u l-PBS habib!!
i reiterate that whilst it is unfair for malta to have to take all immigrants, the solution CAN NEVER be to send these people back to africa, facing possible death. any solution must respect their fundamental human rights, as rightly pointed out by tony borg
We are not dealing with migration, we are dealing with invasion. Wake up Europe and smell the coffee.
Bhala gurnalist li ilhi nsegwi l-operazzjonjiet tal-Frontex, mill-bidunett kont ghidt li l-Frontex mhi xejn hlief FJASK U FARSA u qeghda hemm biss biex isservi ta' Agenzija tal-ivvjagar ghal uhud mill-fizzjali fl-UE. Araw din il-url http://johnpisani.net/kronaka/?p=835 li jien kont ktibt fit-22 ta' Gunju 2008 u anke ohrajn.
Imsieken is-suldati Maltin u l-poplu Malti
Sirt qisek is-Super One. With the slightest hint of bad news for the Govt you are here commenting - when they turn it around or announce good news you are nowhere to be seen.
The EU knows that Dr Gonzi is a weak leader, and therefore it is changing the goal posts in the middle of the game. The EU knows that Gonzi will accept anything that it will throw at him. He is in no position to bargain, the deficit is out of control and he needs EU "extension help. Dr Gonzi's failure to grapple as fast and as single-mindedly with the "illegal immigrants " saga, is going to cost Malta dear.
Yes, Malta needs its dignity back, and as Maltese history has shown,a "yes" man, like Dr Gonzi, will not, am afraid, retrieve it back to us.
For your information international law is changed by states disobeying it and we need to do whatever is necessary to stop the illegal immigrants invasion whether you and your ilk like it or not. I also suggest tat you read the Refugee Convention and see what it says sean. First of all it the Maltese government should put back the reservations that Dr Gorg Borg Olivier had made when he signed the Convention which the eu petty dictators made the lackey EFA repeal and then prevent any illegal immigrants from landing in Malta and tow them back to Libyan waters. For your information, no one can claim asylum or any other protection except in the first country he arrives in after leavign his own country. So don't try to make us believe that the illegal immigrants who have crossed several countries did not apply and only apply in Malta. This also shows that not only the eu petty dictators made the Government repeal the reservations, but wants to turn Malta into an open illegal immigrants centre as had been stated by Frattini. With friends like these who needs enemies.
Lampedusa, Malta and Sicily!
Instead if these silly guidelines, the European Council should put forward draft legislation that all EU countries should share in this burden, whether they have a "port in the Mediterranean" or not.
P.S. May I suggest to fellow commentators to use the English language: “The Times” is read by many abroad and your comments will be much more appreciated if they are read and understood.
You said it all.
What happened to the much vaunted voluntary burden sharing of illegal immigrants? Is Malta the dump site of Europe in the eyes of our Eurofriends!!!??? Is this what Europe means by solidarity?
This single problem of Illegal Immigration (Oh, stop calling it by any other name!) is enough for us to pull out.
Of course this will never happen, and we must kowtow to the whims of the bigger states in the EU. How much have other EU States helped us shoulder this problem? They take a few 100’s and make headlines of it.
I don’t see anything positive in this flow of immigrants to our small habitat. We must put a stop to it now. Show some guts will you Mr. Govern-ment! Stop tackling issues as they hit us...tackle them beforehand.
What's the use to sign different Charters and do not abide by them.
Better adopt the same policy as the Italians have done.
At least it has shown to be effective.
Grazzi