The last few weeks have seen an adverse campaign against Government policy and its actual performance with regards to irregular immigration. Sections of the media have been throwing punches below the belt and, notwithstanding the information given to them, what ends up being printed is exactly the opposite of the facts. Presumably because it is thought that this would prove to be more of a ‘news’ item.
Europe is faced with an inundation of irregular immigrants converging from both south and east. Rather than following usual practices and normal immigration procedures, thousands from Africa try to illegally cross to mainland Europe, aiming mostly to reach Italy and Spain. The European nations forming the eastern borders of the Union face as many, if not more illegal immigrants venturing from Turkey or other ‘silk roads’ which have become the routes, legal or illegal, leading to the ‘promised land’.
The illegal migration problem is hitting Malta negatively and hard. Malta, which up to some 43 years ago was a British colony, now has to bear part of the brunt of the thousands of irregular immigrants, mostly from ex-colonies ruled by European countries, leaving on boats from North Africa. The numbers reaching our shores, in the context of our size and population density, are staggering and are increasingly becoming difficult to administer. This is not only stretching our capabilities to the limit but is also seeing us being hit left, right and centre by foreign governments, NGOs and journalists. The suspicion arises that most of them have a second agenda – a well thought out concerted effort that depicts us as the bad guys when in actual fact we are facing a phenomenon which is uncalled for, undesired and extremely difficult to address.
There is no doubt that the irregular immigrants need to be pitied and helped. Malta is bound by what it should do under international law and subsequent to conventions it may have signed and adhered to. We are honouring our international commitments and more. However it is not fair that various entities, unfortunately even some of the local media, have taken it upon them to lambaste us as the bad guys.
The Maltese authorities, especially the AFM, who fall directly under my Ministry, not only carry out their duties but also try their outmost to see that [a] there is no loss of life and [b] that all those in a position of immediate or irretrievable distress are helped in more ways than one. In spite of what many say or try to imply, the number one rule is that if the Captain/ Master of any patrol vessel or any other Maltese flagged vessel is of the opinion that there is a threat to life and limb, then any boatload of persons which may be traveling, legally or illegally through Malta’s Search and Rescue (SAR) region, is brought in. At times this happens, as has been the case in some episodes, against the express will of the boat-people themselves.
I can assure one and all that we leave no stone unturned to help those who need help and those who ask for help. At the same time we expect other countries, to the north and south, to carry out their part as expected by law without trying to sensationalize in any way the incidents.
Action can also be taken outside the Maltese SAR on a humanitarian basis. However in all other cases, one has to first report cases occurring in other countries’ SAR region to the competent authorities of such country and expect them to take the appropriate immediate action.
These last two weeks have seen three episodes which have caught the eye of the Media.
The first regarded a Maltese Trawler, leased out by Azzopardi Fisheries which was dragging a tuna pen in Libyan SAR region waters. At one point, a boat load of persons transferred themselves from their boat onto the pen, sinking their boat in the process. On being informed of the situation on the Friday at +/- 17.00 hrs, the Maltese Authorities within minutes, informed the Libyan authorities, who promised to take care of the situation. Faxes were sent to confirm this from AFM operations centre and these were acknowledged. But the Libyan authorities failed to take action. Saturday morning, on being informed that the Libyan authorities did not seem to have taken immediate action, the Prime Minister, Minister Tonio Borg, Minister Michael Frendo, the AFM Commander, the Maltese Ambassador in Libya and myself were in continuous communication. Whilst re-iterating that action should be taken by the Libyan Authorities, we repeatedly informed the Captain that if there was any danger to the persons sitting on the tuna pens, he should board them immediately – and that it was his responsibility to do so. Though we re-contacted the Libyan Rescue Operation Centre, which promised immediate action, this did not materialize. At one moment in time the Italian Authorities, using a military vessel sailing in the region boarded the said immigrants and landed them in Lampedusa.
The second episode concerned a Spanish tugboat dragging yet another tuna pen that boarded a boatload of irregular immigrants from the Libyan SAR region waters. This episode concerned an operation in a foreign Search & Rescue Region by a foreign flagged ship. Definitely this was not the responsibility of the Maltese authorities. When it was ascertained that the whole episode had occurred in Libyan Waters, the Spanish authorities, after being contacted by our Minister of Foreign Affairs decided that it was their responsibility to take in the said irregular immigrants. Why was Malta once again put in a bad light? Is it that sometimes anything goes as long as one makes the headlines? Any way why not blame it on the Government, the AFM and on me!
The third episode concerned the lifting from the Libyan SAR region of a number of corpses. Once again there were those who tried to put the matter at our doorstep and indicate that we were responsible to take these in. Having been informed of the case, the Prime Minister’s immediate reaction was to grant permission, on humanitarian grounds, for these to be delivered here and be given a proper burial. Notwithstanding this, the French authorities gave instructions to their vessel to sail to Toulon with the corpses. The problem here should not have been where the corpses had to be taken but that an international inquiry is set up to determine where and how these boat people had been permitted to take to sea. If the people involved had never left the African shores, there would not have been any loss of life. This loss of life is unacceptable, worrying. This state of affairs goes beyond any regulations contemplated by any international law, treaty and convention.
Putting the blame on one country or the other is not the solution to this crisis. More so, the media should strive to see that they do not come down on the smaller nations like a ton of bricks. Their efforts should be addressed towards obtaining the co-operation from the ex-colonial countries that had originally colonized those nations from which the said irregular immigrants originate. The media should work on getting the larger ex-colonial powers to take concrete action to avoid the perpetuation of this present negative phenomenon.
A word of thanks to our Armed Force and Police involved would not go amiss and would be a welcome change.
Malta stands by its policy to assist and help those in need of our assistance and help. The various NGOs and UNHCR can put their mind at rest that the present situation in the central Mediterranean is more worrying to us than it is to them. We have been in the forefront to insure that FRONTEX operations within the European Union take place with effect from mid-June and our thanks goes to those nations who have offered assistance and participation when called upon to take part.
Not withstanding our limited resources we shall continue to operate as best possible to make sure that no life is lost at sea. But we must also be realistic, success here depends also on the Libyan authorities patrolling their territorial waters, close to the ports of Zuwarrah and Zlitan, continuously and in sufficient numbers.
Tony Abela is parliamentary secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister