While Maltese diplomats have been relentlessly trying to get the European Union’s support, boatloads of illegal immigrants are stretching the already overstretched resources available in Malta. Fellow European Member States have so far been reluctant to provide Malta with the necessary financial and political aid to help solve the ever increasing problem. Although a number of immigrants were taken up by other Member States in 2006, these were very few and were carefully selected based on educational background and expertise.
Following a recent visit by European Commission President José Manuel Barrosso and efforts made by European Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini, it seems new funds have been allocated to aid Malta financially, in the form of project funding, within the coming weeks.
Edward Penza, Managing Director of independent Malta travel guide http://www.guidetomalta.net, comments: “The burden of illegal immigration on Malta is taking on dangerous proportions and many Maltese feel an increasing sense of abandonment by an institution they gave their vote of confidence a few years earlier [referendum on EU accession]. Without financial support from the European Union, the development of Malta as a European state is badly impacted and a solution is needed urgently. Malta cannot be left to fend for itself trying whilst trying to deal with migrants trying to make the crossing from Africa to European mainland.”
Awaiting calm seas, thousands of immigrants depart from Northern African countries such as Libya, trying to make it across the Mediterranean to reach Europe and what they hope is a better chance in life.
Immigrants of various African nationalities board small vessels and sometimes even dinghies, having paid a small fortune for this rare window of opportunity. Some are political refugees; others hope for an improvement in life quality and often risk their lives not only during their voyage, but also facing the risk of repatriation, often resulting in death through persecution.
Sadly, a large number of migrants perish at sea, while others fall into peril whilst in Maltese waters and are brought to Malta, once rescued. This is a situation that both the migrants as well as the Maltese authorities try to avoid: Migrants aim for European mainland and try to avoid stranding at Malta, whilst the Maltese authorities have their hands full with the large number of illegal immigrants already in transit.
In a bid to hide their place of origin, migrants often destroy any evidence of their identity, shredding documents and getting rid of their passports once at sea. Hoping that this will not give European governments a reason to repatriate them, the unfortunate result is that these migrants end up in transit in Malta, waiting for their case to be reviewed again and hoping for an opportunity to make it to European mainland.
Malta’s fight for support from the EU seems to be paying off. But although there seems to be light at the horizon, new groups of migrants find their way to Malta every day and a structural solution is yet to be found.
