timesofmalta.com - Slovakia promises to take some of Malta's migrantsWednesday, 22nd July 2009 - 14:24CET
Slovakia has promised to take some of Malta’s irregular migrants, Foreign Miroslav Lajcak told his Maltese counterpart Tonio Borg at the end of a meeting.
Mr Lajcak told Dr Borg that Slovakia would initially take part in the pilot project being held under the umbrella of the Immigration Pact but it was willing to continue sharing the burden even once this project was concluded.
Immigrants have already been taken by France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Ireland, Portugal and the United States.
timesofmalta.com - Migrants 'living in absolute poverty' - NGOMonday, 13th July 2009 - 13:40CET
A grouping of 18 non-government organisations is calling for assistance and policy changes to help migrants who are living in poverty after having been asked to leave open centres.
"These people, about 30 mostly women and children, have no money and they even lack food," Vince Caruana, chairman of SKOP, told timesofmalta.com.
He said these people were living with other migrants in rented apartments in the area of St Paul's Bay and Qawra and lacked basic necessities, such as nappies for the babies.
"This is absolute poverty by any definition," he said.
"Refusing or failing to acknowledge such categories of people is a sure way to guarantee that their needs will not be met. The situation is only set to worsen with the regulations where migrants are sent out of open centres after a specified period of time."
He said the authorities needed to meet these people to discuss their needs.
SKOP, he said, is an unmbrella organisation of NGOs involved in development issues. Its purpose is to lobby for policy changes, but several of its members had taken the initiative to coordinate assistance to the migrants. (Tel number. 21315562).
timesofmalta.com - Illegal immigrants land at St Thomas BayTuesday, 14th July 2009 - 08:23CET
Twenty-eight illegal migrants have been apprehended after landing at St Thomas Bay this morning - the first arrivals in nearly two months.
The group was made up of 22 men and six women, who were all in good health. All are claiming to be from Somalia.
They arrived on an outboard-motor powered 13-foot long boat, and were relatively clean and well stocked with food and water onboard, the AFM said.
The police said the migrants were arrested as they disembarked from the boat.
They were taken to the Detention Compound at the Ta' Kandja Police Training Facility.
The AFM said that during the night, its Operations Centre at Luqa Barracks unsuccessfully tried to locate another boat carrying 16 migrants, who had used their satellite-phone to call for assistance through an unidentified person who in turn alerted the rescue centre in Palermo.
As AFM radar and observation posts around the Islands were alerted, the Maritime Squadron's P-61 offshore patrol vessel was diverted to a position, some 23 nautical miles East of Delimara Point. A communications search via satellite-phone to establish contact with the boat was also unsuccessful.
timesofmalta.com - Turkish visa applications for Malta visits rising fastMonday, 15th June 2009 - 12:54CET
The number of visa applications in Turkey for travel to Malta has risen to some 50 per week since a Consulate General for Malta was opened in Istanbul, the Foreign Ministry said.
The Consul General, Simon Pullicino, was appointed three months ago and has since boosted promotion for Malta, with tourism posters now featuring in all metro stations in Istanbul.
The ministry said most visa applications were from young people wishing to learn English or follow tertiary education in Malta.
Mr Pullicino last week made a courtesy call on the Governor of Istanbul, Muammar Guler at the Bab-i-ali (Supreme Gate)Palace overlooking the entrance to the Golden Horn.
The Governor congratulated the Consul General on his appointment and welcomed the decision by the Maltese authorities to appoint a career Consul General in Istanbul. He was sure this would consolidate the excellent relations between both countries and to stimulate trade, cultural and maritime exchanges between both countries.
timesofmalta.com - Escaped migrant caught with false passport at airportMonday, 15th June 2009 - 13:19CET
An immigrant from the Ivory Coast who escaped from a detention camp last night was caught at the airport trying to leave using a false passport.
Stephen Kybrene was arrested along with Maswell Asiadu, 29 of Ghana, who is resident in an open centre.
Both were taken to court accused of making use of false passports and jailed for eight months and five months suspended for three years respectively.
During the hearing, counsel for Kybrene said the migrant had not wanted to break the law, and had only wanted to get away because he saw no future for himself in Malta.
timesofmalta.com - Refugees leave for the USMonday, 15th June 2009 - 14:34CET
A group of 10 refugees from Somalia and Eritrea left Malta today to begin a new life in the United States. Since the U.S. Embassy began its permanent refugee resettlement programme in May 2008, over 260 refugees have been resettled to the U.S.
Jason Davis, Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy, said that the refugee resettlement programme showed the continuing commitment of the United States to help ease the burden that migration had placed on Malta, as well as its recognition of the enormous challenges and dangers that many of the migrants had faced.
"The Programme's success is a tribute to continued hard work on the part of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, and the United States government, as well as many others here in Malta who have dedicated themselves to improving the lives of refugees in need of humanitarian assistance," Mr Davis said.
He explained that refugees are assigned a sponsor agency in the U.S. that provides initial services such as housing, food, and clothing, as well as referral to medical care, employment services, and other support services during the transition period to self-sufficiency. These services are provided in order to facilitate refugees with the process of integration and cultural assimilation.
timesofmalta.com - Immigrant jailedSaturday, 13th June 2009 - 19:16CET
A resident at the Marsa Open Centre was jailed for 13 months and fined €116.70 after he was found guilty of damaging property.
Ethiopian Ismael Obssa Hussein, 27, was charged with breaking glass and damaging windows at the complex, being in possession of a knife without the necessary license, insulting others, breaching the peace and attacking others.
He was also accused of being a relapser.
timesofmalta.com - Migrants captured after Safi camp escapeMonday, 15th June 2009 - 07:50CET
The Detention Service has recaptured 10 migrants who escaped from Safi detention camp last night, sources said.
Another three are still believed to be on the run.
The search was conducted by the Detention Service assisted by the AFM and the police.
No further details were immediately available.
timesofmalta.com - Right of refugees to bring relatives to MaltaWednesday, 10th June 2009 - 10:51CET
Illegal immigrants do not have a right to bring their relatives to Malta, but such a right is enjoyed by those migrants who are granted refugee status, Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici said this morning.
He said when speaking in Parliament that this is in line with the 1951 Geneva Convention.
The minister was replying to a parliamentary question by Chris Cardona.
EU unlikely to agree on African refugees in June | Prague Monitor
ČTK |
5 June 2009
Luxembourg, June 4 (CTK) - The European Union is unlikely to reach an agreement on how to help countries like Italy and Malta cope with waves of illegal migrants under the Czech EU presidency that will last till the end of June, Czech Interior Minister Martin Pecina told journalists Thursday.
Thousands of illegal immigrants get from north Africa across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe every year.
"The discussion has only just started," said Pecina who headed an EU meeting dealing with the issue Thursday.
Pecina said he believes some form of voluntary cooperation will be agreed on.
France and Portugal have already accepted some refugees from Malta, for example.
EU Commissioner Jacques Barrot, in charge of justice, freedom and security, Thursday also spoke about voluntary help.
However, Italy would like other EU countries to help it compulsorily. Some EU countries seem to consider this unacceptable.
According to the Italian authorities, 36,900 refugees reached Italy's shores in 2008, which was 75 percent more than in 2007.
The Italian parliament passed a new law in May that considers the country's illegal entry and illegal stay a crime. Italy has returned some 500 migrants to Africa based on the law since then. This was criticised by the United Nations, the Catholic Church and humanitarian organisations.
The issue is to be discussed at the EU summit on June 18-19, but a compromise solution will probably be sought by the Swedes to whom the Czechs will hand the EU presidency.
timesofmalta.com - Italy insists on EU burden sharing, says latest proposals not enoughThursday, 4th June 2009 - 16:23CET
Italy today joined Malta in appealing to the European Union to oblige member states to share the burden by taking in migrants.
Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said before a meeting with EU counterparts in Luxembourg that recent proposals from the executive European Commission on asylum were "interesting, but ... not sufficient".
"We asked for obligatory burden sharing, the proposal foresees a voluntary system -- so those who don't want to needn't take in any refugees," he told reporters.
In a Financial Times interview published today, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi called the Commission proposals a step forward, but expressed disappointment that fellow EU states had not agreed to take on asylum seekers.
Maroni said Libya, to where Italy has returned migrants intercepted in the Mediterranean, had given him concrete requests for help from Europe to fight illegal immigration and he would pass these to EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot.
Barrot has criticised Italy's recent decision to return migrant ships intercepted on the voyage across the Mediterranean from Libya, saying it did not distinguish between illegal migrants and those deserving asylum.
He has proposed that the European Union work with the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) to set up screening centres for asylum seekers in Africa to stop them falling into the clutches of human-trafficking networks.
He has urged UNHCR to work with Libya to establish a scheme for receiving and protecting asylum seekers that meets international standards.
Maroni has argued that Italy's policy is working and the arrival of migrant boats from north Africa has practically stopped, but it has been sharply criticised by non-governmental organisations dealing with refugees.
Yesterday, the European Council on Refugees and Exiles, a network of 69 refugee assisting organisations in 30 countries, said Italy should face sanctions under EU rules for "flagrant violation" of human rights principles.
timesofmalta.com - Schools will not house migrants- CristinaWednesday, 3rd June 2009 - 18:48CET
Education Minister Dolores Cristina this evening categorically denied rumours that St Paul's Bay primary school - or any other state school in Malta or Gozo, for that matter - would be closed down to house illegal immigrants.
Mrs Cristina was answering a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Censu Galea.
Mrs Cristina said that she was aware that such rumours were doing the rounds, even with regards to Senglea school and schools in other localities, but there was no truth in them.
timesofmalta.com - Frontex may lease aircraft to repatriate migrantsWednesday, 3rd June 2009 - 20:20CET
Frontex, the EU border control agency, has agreed to strengthen its capacity for the repatriation of migrants and may lease an aircraft for the purpose, director-general Ilka Latenen said today.
Speaking after talks with Justice and Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici, Mr Latenen said Frontex would consider leasing an aircraft for repatriation flights to start from Malta.
At present most repatriations from Malta are made through arrangements with other countries, with aircraft stopping over in Malta on their way to the migrants' countries whenever they have empty seats.
A spokesman for the Home Affairs Ministry said that Frontex will also be helping Malta to obtain the travel documents needed to make repatriations possible, a role currently undertaken by the police. No migrants may be repatriated without such documentation.
Only half of the migrants who arrive in Malta are found to be eligible for humanitarian protection and the rest, therefore, have to be repatriated.
timesofmalta.com - Report finds substantial discrimination with African Muslims in MaltaThursday, 28th May 2009 - 13:01CET
Nearly half the African Muslims in Malta, interviewed for an EU Fundamental Rights Agency report on discrimination with Muslims, reported discrimination when looking for employment.
The report said that 43 percent of African Muslims in Malta reported discrimination when looking for work but only 25 percent reported discrimination at work.
20 percent reported being discriminated against by healthcare personnel and 33 percent at a cafe, restaurant, bar or nightclub.
The report points out that the immediate and long-term impact of discriminatory experiences on young people was of particular concern with 71 percent of 16-24 year old Africans in Malta reporting discrimination.
23 percent of those interviewed in Malta said they were not aware of anti-discrimination legislation and 94 percent could not name an organisation that could offer advice or support to people who suffered discrimination.
Only eight percent of the African Muslims in Malta considered their encounters with the police to be discriminatory.
timesofmalta.com - Malta insists it is not responsible for all migrants in its search areaWednesday, 27th May 2009 - 19:31CET
Malta has again rejected a call by Amnesty International to adopt amendments to international law which would oblige it to assume responsibility for all migrants rescued within its search and rescue area.
The Maltese position was explained in a letter by Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici after Amnesty wrote to him criticizing Malta for having refused migrants rescued (off Lampedusa) by the Turkish ship Pinar last month. The migrants were stranded on the ship for five days before being accepted by Italy.
The Maltese government has consistently argued that since it has not adhered to the 2004 amendments to the SAR and SOLAS convention, its international obligations are only to coordinate rescue missions, with the rescued migrants being taken to the nearest port.
Adopting the amendments would mean it would be responsible for migrants rescued all across the rescue region, stretching from Lampedusa almost to Crete. Malta however insists that in terms of the convention, before the amendments, the migrants have to be taken to the nearest safe port.
"You are surely aware that Malta, as a sovereign state, has willingly chosen not to be party to these amendments. The reason for this is simple. We consider that the framework within which operations are conducted within Malta's Search and Rescue Region serves the best interests of the persons rescued, as escorting these persons to the nearest safe port ensures that any necessary immediate assistance required on land is delivered at the earliest possible. Please bear in mind that the distance between the site of the rescue and the nearest safe port on the one hand, and Malta on the other, may be very significant.
"Surely, it is clear to all that Malta's acceptance of the 2004 amendments would directly result in rescued persons having to remain on board the rescuing vessel for considerably longer periods of time - something which, according to your correspondence, you are manifestly against. Undoubtedly, our opinion has been formed by decades of operational experience in search and rescue according to the sound framework provided by the 1979 Convention, and not merely on the interpretation of international maritime law."
In its letter Amnesty had complained about the number of days which the migrants had had to spend on the Pinar until they were accepted by Italy.
It also criticised Italy for having adopted a policy of immediately repatriating to Libya those migrants found in international waters, also criticizing Malta for backing such a policy.
"The organisation urges all government to cooperate closely in order to ensure that those rescued at sea are immediately brought to a place of safety, while fully respecting the principle of non-refoulement - not sending them to countries where they may be at risk of torture or other ill treatment, of where access to a fair and satisfactory asylum procedure is limited."
Amnesty however acknowledged the problems which states such as Malta dn Italy are facing with regard to the migrants' crossing and said steps need to be taken to ensure that solidarity between member states is enhanced "However the lack of agreement on such solidarity measures should never be used as an excuse for EU member states to implement border control policies that are violating fundamental rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.
In his reply, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said Malta has been experiencing disproportionate migratory pressures since 2002.
"You are certainly also aware of the fact that Malta, in full accordance with its international obligations and the pertinent UNHCR recommendations, awards international protection to over 50% of asylum applicants. This assumes particular significance when considering that during 2008 Malta received up to 6.4 asylum applications per 1,000 inhabitants- the highest figure for any industrialised country. There is therefore no question about Malta's commitment towards its asylum obligations, even in the face of the difficulties currently being faced," he said.
He also pointed out that he had recently proposed the setting up of a joint Libya-EU-UNHCR Office in Libya with a view to enhance the asylum determination capacity in that country.
"The implementation of such a proposal would have the distinct advantage of providing asylum seekers with the opportunity to file an application without having to undergo the perilous journey on board small embarkations to southern Europe, risking their lives in the process. This would also, of course, significantly curb the activities of the smuggling networks currently thriving on the plight of those seeking to enter Europe illegally. I am confident that such a proposal also answers to the objectives of Amnesty International, and that it will enjoy your support.
"Surely your esteemed organisation cannot and should not be perceived as being in favour of such a criminal activity which has caused so much loss of life on the high seas over the past years," Dr Mifsud Bonnici said.
He noted that this was the first time that Amnesty was on record acknowledging the problems Malta faced.
"It would not be amiss to solicit pro-active proposals from your part such that the solidarity you advocate be put to practice," the minister said.
timesofmalta.com - Malta UNHCR head steps downMonday, 18th May 2009 - 14:22CET
Neil Falzon, the local representative of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, has resigned.
Mr Falzon said his decision to step down was purely personal and he had handed in his resignation letter well before recent criticism of the office.
The UNHCR has been criticised by, among others, Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici, for its opposition to the immediate repatriation of migrants.
The Malta UNHCR office is being run on an interim basis by Hossein Kheradmand.
Mr Falzon joined the UNHCR in 2005 and was head of the Malta office since 2007.
timesofmalta.com - Malta offers to co-sponsor summit on illegal migrationSunday, 17th May 2009 - 15:32CET
Malta has offered to co-sponsor an EU summit on irregular migration, Foreign Minister Tonio Borg told his Italian counterpart Franco Frattini in a letter
The summit has been proposed by Italy. Dr Borg said this problem should be treated by the most senior political authorities in the EU.
He said that a clear political direction was needed on the problem and this had to be given by the European Council.
timesofmalta.com - Malta implementing strategy to raise awareness on illegal migrationFriday, 15th May 2009 - 18:51CET
Malta is implementing a comprehensive foreign policy strategy to raise awareness of illegal migration, Foreign Minister Tonio Borg said.
Speaking at an information and training seminar for Euro-Med diplomats, Dr Borg said that when it came to the direct tangible endeavours all Union for the Mediterranean states and observers, such as Libya, should seek to introduce a basic type of conflict building mechanism that would enable them to manage and contain the large number of security challenges being confronted. These included illegal migration, maritime safety, environmental pollution and drug trafficking.
Illegal migration had increased dramatically across the Mediterranean in the past and all indicators pointed towards even more migratory flows from south to north in the decade ahead.
“Such an increase in human trafficking is already having a major negative impact on the countries of origin, transit and destination of such activity.”
Dr Borg said that located in the centre of the Mediterranean, Malta found itself in the precarious position of largely being a country of transit in the ever-increasing flow of human beings moving from the African continent to Europe.
“Illegal migrants are arriving on the shores of Malta on practically a daily basis placing an incredible strain on the security resources at our disposal.
“Realising that such a dramatic increase in illegal migration is quickly becoming a major source of instability in international relations, Malta is implementing a comprehensive foreign policy strategy to raise awareness of this humanitarian catastrophe,” he said.
Dr Borg said that unless the international community took the necessary action to address more effectively this new form of human slavery, millions of lives risked being uprooted by this organised crime.
“The time has come to focus more Euro-Mediterranean political energy on delivering practical cooperation in areas where such measures are urgently required,” the minister said.
This included cooperative measures in the field of management of migration control, environmental sustainability, and economic development.
Such forms of cooperation were essential if the Union for the Mediterranean was to be perceived as relevant to the peoples of the Euro-Mediterranean area, he said.
timesofmalta.com - Libya can process asylum applications - ambassadorFriday, 15th May 2009 - 11:20CET
Libya's ambassador to Italy has said that the processing of asylum applications in his country was possible, Italian media has reported.
An Italian newspaper reported the Libyan ambassador Hafid Gaddur saying that people who wanted to work could do so in peace in Libya as long as they did not commit any crimes. He pointed out that in Tripoli there were embassies from all over the world where one could turn to in case of problems. There was also representation of the United Nations.
Malta has proposed the setting up of an agency and checkpoints in Libya where asylum seekers would be able to apply for protection. This proposal is backed by Italy.
timesofmalta.com - Police Commissioner answers MPs' questions on migrationThursday, 14th May 2009 - 10:10CET
Police Commissioner John Rizzo spoke about the police having to deal "with the unknown" when he answered questions by MPs during a meeting of the Parliamentary Select Committee.
He also replied to questions on the risks to security installations posed by the nearby siting of detention camps, and dealing with crime by migrants.
Asked whether detention centres could be sited in more secure locations, Mr Rizzo said that since Malta was small, there was no area where no threat was posed. It was always a concern to the authorities that should there be a riot, migrants could gain access to the airport, the army armoury or the police quartermaster store, he said.
There were currently 1,800 migrants in the detention centres. Earlier this year there were 2,400, which was 500 more than the whole police force. There were only 1,700 soldiers in the AFM. Therefore the risks were there, Mr Rizzo said. But he was very happy with the way the police, the AFM and the Detention Service had acted to contain any disturbance or riot, firmly but with the least force.
Turning to the identification of migrants, particularly rejected migrants who file appeals for protection, Mr Rizzo said the police were dealing with the unknown. These people arrived in the country without any ID papers. They could be coming from convents or prisons, he said.
He often asked himself why these people destroyed their identity papers when they claimed to be escaping from strife and needed to convince the authorities to protect them. What did they have to hide?
Mr Rizzo said that eight years after the migration problem started, the police with assistance particularly from Frontex, had amassed intelligence from various countries and had refined their interviewing techniques so as to be able to verify what the migrants said. Language expertise had also been increased, to the extent that Malta was now helping Frontex in this regard.
On the investigation of the people traffickers who actually brought the migrants to Malta, Mr Rizzo said such investigations were started as soon as any migrants’ boats arrived. When it was established that the migrants’ boats had a master, criminal action was taken. But in many cases, the migrants denied that there was anybody responsible for the boat and said they all acted together. They said they were given a compass and told to head North.
However in the larger boats, the police sometimes established the presence of a master or a navigator and took criminal action.
Asked which migrant groups caused most trouble, the Commissioner said trouble was caused by migrants of various nationalities, particularly Somalis, while some Nigerians were a cause of concern for reasons of drug trafficking.
As for the crime rate, Mr Rizzo said there was no denying that some crimes were caused by migrants, but he could not give percentages. Given that thousands of migrants had arrived in Malta, the numbers were not insignificant (mhux ħazin) Overall, however, the crime rate in Malta was actually down by an average of 12 percent per year for the past four years.
Replying to a question on what the police were doing with regard to migrants at Marsa, the Commissioner said this was a community of 1,000 people of different cultures and denominations, and incidents sometimes cropped up. The police, he said, lacked the resources to watch over every migrant to ensure that no one was employed illegally, and the focus therefore was on surprise inspections at places of work.
Such raids, the Commissioner stressed, were not against illegal immigrants, but against all people employed illegally. Indeed, the police often came across the illegal employment of foreign students.
NO REPATRIATION AGREEMENT WITH LIBYA
Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici, who spoke at the same meeting, said the situation on the repatriation of migrants was in a state of flux. For example, last week Italy repatriated migrants picked up from five boats but in a more recent case, Italy had asked to bring the migrants to Malta and then took them to Sicily after Malta refused.
He confirmed that even if Italy had an agreement with Libya to repatriate the migrants, Malta did not. He had however been invited for talks in Libya along with the Italian Home Affairs Minister and the EU Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs.
Malta, he said, was calling for more resources to be placed in Libya by the EU and particularly the UNHCR, so that migrants who felt they should apply for protection, would do so there.
A recent reported development, he said, was that some migrant departures from Libya seemed to have shifted east, towards Benghazi, with the migrants heading for Crete.
The situation, he said, was very delicate. Malta would stick to its position of respecting its international obligations by coordinating the search and rescue zone and rescuing migrants who were in distress when the nearest port was in Malta.
“We are keeping our feet on the ground, holding firm to our views and obligations and trying to instil logic into the issue” Dr Mifsud Bonnici said, adding that he was also spending a lot of time explaining to the foreign media what the situation was.
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