The government yesterday warned that boat season is upon us, and that Malta has to prepare for the eventuality of an influx of migrants.

Some might say that this is alarmist and may raise racial tensions. We do not agree with that line of thought. We agree wholeheartedly with the government – we must prepare. This is not new to us at all. We have seen it happen before and we have managed to deal with the situation as it arose in the past. We made mistakes, but we have improved tenfold in the way the situation is handled today. Our Armed Forces are perhaps the most experienced coast guards in Europe at this point in time and they will be on constant alert for calls to rescue people at sea.

The infrastructure has also improved, with more semi-permanent structures being put in place at the open centres. The signs are there, people are arriving by the boatload and it is not even the end of May yet, and the seas are still rough. Once the weather improves a little, then we can fully expect to see more people embark on the dangerous journey from North Africa.

Libya’s government does not have full control of the country and if we were completely honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that there are probably a lot more important things on the agenda from the Libyan TNC’s point of view, than policing coastal waters.

While we must be prepared to rescue these people, Malta must also safeguard its own rights and not be pushed around. There were attempts in the past to literally ‘dump’ people in Malta because other nations would not shoulder their responsibilities, as stipulated by international law.

Many people will arrive, this is certain. The government has made huge positive strides in lobbying for resettlement support, and it will have to lay the groundwork now. Malta must make the EU understand that masses of people are already making the crossing and that our islands, people and coffers can only cope with so much.

Malta will, as it has always done, do the right thing and shoulder its responsibilities and offer these people rescue and safety. The world is a changing place, but one thing that will never change is the phenomenon of human migration. People move to seek a better life. They move to seek employment, shelter and safety. Nothing will ever change that.