Malta’s illegal immigration problems were prominently highlighted by international media on Monday.
Leading international newspapers The International Herald Tribune, and the German daily Frankfurter Allegmaine Zeitung reported a contribution by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo addressing Malta’s main concerns on illegal immigration.
“Illegal immigration is a real problem for all of us, but it is more so for some of us. If I were to tell you that 75,000 illegal immigrants arrived in France or that 50,000 illegal immigrants arrived in Spain, would that hit the news? This is in fact the equivalent, in terms of population density, of what Malta has experienced in the past two weeks,” explained Minister Frendo.
In his contribution, Malta’s Foreign Minister referred to the Rabat Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development, during which Nicolas Sarkozy, Interior Minister of France, said that last year’s tragic events in which 14 migrants were killed in Spanish enclaves on the North African coast touched the hearts of Europeans. “In Malta, we find dead bodies floating in the Mediterranean regularly. We receive boatloads of illegal immigrants,” went on Minister Frendo.
“The smaller and the more densely populated the country, the bigger the problem. Malta is the second most densely populated country in the world at almost 1,300 persons per square kilometre.”
Illegal immigration is not just another problem like any other problem on which we hold conferences – for the Maltese, this is an issue of vital importance, he said
He said the international community could not institutionally compartmentalise the issue. Migratory routes are inter-linked. International criminal organisations make sure of that. For them, transporting migrants is big business, Minister Frendo said.
In identifying a durable solution, Foreign Minister Frendo emphasised the need for a comprehensive plan.
He added that part of the solution was that all countries had to fight international criminal organisations. Development assistance was clearly a very important part of the solution to ensure that people retain the hope to make a living for themselves and their families in their own societies, he added.
“We need urgent action. For the 400,000 citizens of my country crammed in 316 square kilometres, this is truly vital. Malta needs help. Now.”