Malta is facing what is arguably one of her biggest challenges in recent years. The number of irregular immigrants washed up on our shores last year was equivalent to 50 per cent of the Maltese birth rate. Providing for these individuals is eating away at one per cent of our annual budget. Ten per cent of our security forces are devoted to addressing this challenge. We are expecting more “arrivals” now that the weather is better and seas are calmer.

Malta is now part of the European Union and has been insisting that help should be forthcoming from our partners in the north. The efforts of our Prime Minister, Interior Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister and all our MEPs have not been in vain. A resolution on the refugee situation in Malta was overwhelmingly approved by the European Parliament this week. Such resolutions are not binding in any way but our representatives now have concrete backing for their efforts in addressing this situation.

We can definitely expect more support in terms of invaluable financial and technical assistance. This is not enough. The European Parliament suggested amendments to the Dublin Convention which would facilitate the processing of these irregular arrivals in other European countries.

In the unlikely event that this suggestion is taken up it may actually be counterproductive. If Malta becomes a transit point to the European mainland a greater number of immigrants will probably make Malta their port of call.

I feel that the way forward is to seek European help in two specific areas. Pressure should be brought to bear on the Libyan government so that an agreement can be reached between Libya and Malta such that any immigrants who are known to have started their journey to our shores from Libya can be sent back to this country.

The trafficking of human beings is not only placing a burden on us and on other countries but is also leading to tragedies on a regular basis.

This is unacceptable and Libya should be encouraged to help to rectify matters.

Increased patrolling of the seas between our island state and the vast Libyan coastline is essential. Our resources are already stretched to the limit and thus some more help in this area is definitely required and our European partners are surely in a position to help.

The human factor of this phenomenon should never be ignored. A number of these immigrants are genuinely escaping war and persecution in their country.

Talk of suspending human rights considerations to tackle the issue should be dismissed as a brazen attempt at gaining cheap political points by riding on the wave of popular concern.

The politician who suggested that we do so was also the most prominent crusader against European Union membership. It is hard to imagine how this problem could have been tackled without EU help.

It is also hard to imagine how someone could be so contradictory in his reasoning and still consider his position as opposition leader to be tenable.