The Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs in a statement issued yesterday referred to a speech by UNHCR official Paolo Artini at the European Parliament Civil Liberties committee on 3 July and reported in a section of the local media.

The government said Mr Artini’s statements and statistics are incorrect and may cause unwarranted public alarm.

Mr Artini was quoted as saying, “In Malta, 700 persons arrived this year, which is four times the figure during the same period last year.”

This is totally incorrect, the government replied. The number of cumulative number of illegal immigrants saved by the Armed Forces of Malta between January and June 2006 was 769, a reduction of 198 when compared with the same period last year.

Therefore Malta registered approximately the same decrease in arrivals as that said to have been registered by Italy, rather than quadrupled, as stated by Mr Artini. However, the arrivals occurred over a more limited period of time (May-June).

Mr Artini also gave the wrong impression when he said that according to the Italian Coast Guard “out of 3,758 persons salvaged in the Mediterranean in 2007, 1,663 were in Maltese territorial waters” and that “49 per cent of the 311 operations carried out by the Italian Coast Guard in 2006 took place in Maltese territorial waters.” Mr Artini was definitely confusing ‘territorial waters’ with ‘search and rescue zone’ for which Malta has coordinating responsibilities.

The government reminded everyone that the problem Malta is facing has been recognised by the Justice and Security Commissioner Franco Frattini during his visit to Malta earlier this week to attend an EPP European Parliament Conference meeting.

While praising the efforts being made by Malta, Mr Frattini asked other EU member States to show solidarity not only through words but also through concrete action. Mr Frattini also commented that due to the Frontex patrols currently being held in the Mediterranean, the number of illegal immigrants’ arrivals dropped substantially. He also promised that as from January 2008 Frontex patrols would be held on a permanent basis.

It is hoped that UNHCR as an United Nations organisation will assist the number of refugees and people granted humanitarian status in Malta, which incidentally is one of the highest in the European Union with nearly 55 per cent of applications accepted, to integrate and/or re-settle to start a new life.