Daphne Caruana Galizia’s arguments that Malta is overstating her woes when it comes to illegal immigrants rests entirely on a comparison with Lampedusa, which is even smaller than we are and which, according to Ms Caruana Galizia is coping admirably well with a larger influx of asylum seekers (TMIS, 28 August).

Your columnist fails to mention, no doubt because it slipped her mind and not because it interfered with the logic of her entire article, that Lampedusa is part of Italy, the world’s sixth largest economy. I am sure that it was only because of absent-mindedness that your columnist forgot to mention that when Lampedusa gets too over-crowded, there is the safety-valve of relocation of asylum seekers to Italy.

Her assertion that Malta is a …” fully-fledged nation

State with a functioning army, police force, and considerably more space and resources

than Lampedusa….” is a lie but I am sure, an unintentional one. For of course, the resources of all Italy, political, military and financial, are at Lampedusa’s disposal.

Perhaps most importantly, Lampedusa benefits from Italy’s repatriation agreement with Libya, which Malta does not have the muscle to negotiate on its own. The same Lampedusans who, unlike the selfish, uncharitable, un-Christian Maltese, happily greet every washed up illegal immigrant on their shores, just as happily have the legal means to send a large proportion of them back where they came from, against their wishes.

I presume, of course, that your columnist is aware that Lampedusa is an integral part of Italy.

Mark Sciberras

TAL-IBRAG