There was a time when the winter months and the rough seas gave some reprieve to the Armed Forces of Malta and the police corps in dealing with the number of irregular migrants making the trip north from Africa.

There was also a time when the boats arriving here were small, and could carry up to 27 or so migrants, who often just barely made it to shore as their vessel tore to pieces and the migrants needed to be lifted out of the water.

But things are changing.

There now seems to be no interruption in the flow of immigrants that are making their way towards Europe. And the boats on which they are travelling are getting bigger, so much so that the local authorities have to deal with a larger group each time.

At this time of the year, the number of migrants that would have landed in Malta used to be more or less negligible. But this year we have already reached quite alarming figures.

More than 600 immigrants have arrived since the start of the year, most of them in two groups made up of more than 200 each time. We had 262 arriving one Sunday morning in Marsaxlokk and another group of 227 coming in at Birzebbuga last week.

In the meantime, we have had smaller groups being repatriated, but their numbers are by far smaller than the number of migrants who are arriving.

Added to this, we have also had frequent disturbances in the closed centres, while some migrants have also managed to escape from detention, stretching the police and AFM resources even more as they search for the escapees. There have also been more serious riots on the island of Lampedusa, which is facing similar difficulties as those of Malta, although it has mainland Italy to support its needs.

There is no doubt that the pressure that is being exerted on the authorities in their control of irregular migrants is increasing. The AFM and police resources are stretched to the limit, as their duties and responsibilities are far bigger than just to deal with the irregular migration problem.

The thing is, there seems to be no end to the prevailing situation. The more time passes, the more people from Africa seem to want to seek better pastures in Europe, and the problem is bound to increase, not lessen.

The European Union’s efforts so far have not been enough and one gets the impression that it does not realise the extent of the problems that Malta is facing. Although initiatives have been taken, they have not managed to stop the influx. Diplomacy with North African countries has also not led to tangible results.

The general public’s feelings on the matter have also changed over the past months. Initially, there was a kind of acceptance in most quarters. But as the arrivals increased and the number of incidents at the closed centres also grew, the people’s sentiments shifted. Many are today arguing that the least that the migrants could do is be grateful for the hospitality that we are giving them.

The Maltese government has made its voice heard several times at EU level, often with the support of the opposition. But, again, it is clear that the government has not managed to convince other European leaders that Malta is not in a position to deal with the growing influx of migrants.

The government should continue to insist that Malta cannot be on its own in handling such a tough situation. It needs the support of other, bigger countries. The fact that some countries accept to take a handful of migrants on their own territory is a valid gesture, but it is not enough to mitigate the problems that Malta is facing.