The most painfully embarrassing headline yet
Published:
July 15, 2013 at 11:31pm
Before I drive out through the gate, I first have to clear a path through the thick carpet of North African immigrants. And when I drive home after dark, I have to be extra careful not to hit stray North African immigrants and hedgehogs.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2364172/Maltese-PM-Joseph-Muscat-appeals-help-deportation-North-African-refugees-blocked.html
Overwhelmed? Of course. I do a two hour power walk every day and it is so difficult negotiating the sea of blacks.
Twit.
Negotiating the sea of cars, on the other hand…
The “overcrowding” argument won’t work unless we are prepared to take a good look at ourselves.
And what are we prepared to see, my friend? A sea of racists?
Such a sad situation. You wouldn’t believe the comments I was pummelled with this weekend.
The most recent number I came across regarding the amount of asylum seekers that decide to stay in Malta is around 5000. Again, not even 1% of our population.
The real reason behind those frantic words is racism.
“The people of Malta are not racist and welcome multiculturalism. We are in favour of integration.”
That is a barefaced lie. The majority of the Maltese are racist, hence their sickening support for the violation of these people’s right to seek asylum.
He sounds less like a statesman and more like a headless chicken, confused by his duty to obey the law and his own bigoted mentality.
Hey Daily Mail, he’s got a PhD in economics from Bristol.
Paradise beaches awash with boatloads of refugees. Prime Minister considering ‘all options’. Push-backs not excluded despite being declared illegal by the European Court of Human Rights and the actual danger to which the returnees would be exposed.
Another example of excellent image-building for Malta and of perfect timing by Joseph Muscat.
‘Malta – the island of human tragedy run by an irresponsible prime minister who has no respect for fundamental human rights.’
I didn’t know Sudan is a North African country.
I totally disagree with Muscat and the way he handled this issue. I also totally disagree with the Labour Party and its politics.
However, I also feel that the situation needs addressing and some sort of burden-sharing arrangement be put in place. Carm Mifsud Bonnici was on the right track.
Best advert to attract winter bookings from Daily Mail readers in Britain, our core market.
Riklam tajjeb ghat-turisti.
It sounds to me as if he is talking about himself and his government and using the migrants as scapegoats.
An excellent advert to attract winter bookings from British tourists.
You must remember that the ‘multiple calls from our Navy each night in summer’ do not allow him to get his rest miskin, hence all these mistakes.
He is feeling stretched and we are not one month into summer yet. I’d hate to think what he’ll be like by September.
Seems like keeping your act straight is harder than impressing fools with half-baked ideas.
Our Prime Minister’s statements get more embarrassing by the minute.
I think he needs a few lessons in geography before he speaks to the international press.
Can one of his highly paid ex-Super One advisers PLEASE explain to him that SOMALIA, ERITREA, and ETHIOPIA are NOT in NORTH AFRICA.
On second thoughts, his advisers are probably just as clueless as he is.
The fact is that we get relatively few North Africans entering illegally and these are normally sent back to their countries on the first available flight as they rarely qualify for refugee status.
Probably the greatest asset the Maltese always had was their friendliness and solidarity. St. Paul clearly states this in the Bible, when he recalls the shipwreck.
He found a group of people, who immediately lit up a bonfire for the people who came to shore to dry out and warm themselves up.
Yes, I do believe that the EU and the other member countries, could do much more in this respect. By pouring money, this is not enough. The root of the problem lies within these poor souls originate from. We are not the only country that has a problem of illegal immigration. Italy, is a case in point.
Abiding to International Law is not an option, but a duty if we are to be considered to be a democratic country, with values our forefathers have bestowed upon us.
What is very worrying, is the fact that this Government, in particular our Hon. Prime Minister, is the fact that he is showing a remarkable lack of leadership. The methods used or contemplated are outrageous. What worries even more, that he is surrounded by eminent Lawyers and seasoned Politicians, who should have advised him that his methods, are completely wrong.
Not only vis-a-vis with the EU but also with a section of the population, who unfortunately either out of political blindness or stupidity reacted the way they did. Bigots of the first degree. I would not be surprised that our PM consulted with Mr. Norman Lowell on this subject.
The PM by declaring that he is neither xenophobic nor a racist, is not enough, actions speak louder than words. What is also very worrying is that his style of governing is clearly standing out. In my honest opinion, he is an updated Dom Mintoff, (May he rest in peace) in the making. Taking decisions, without consulting at least his closest advisers, is typical Mintoff style of politics. Threaten and hope for the best!!!!
The attack on the Arriva bus drivers, was scandalous to say the least, and Lou Bondi’s insertion of a conversation on Facebook really highlights that the basic principles of our forefathers, are sorely lacking.
My hope, in writing this comment is to try and convince this Government to lead by what was sold to the general public prior to the elections. A Government is there, as he has the major support of the electorate. That is democracy at its best. But the major responsibility of a Government is to ensure a better future for our Country and its population. Educating the population, on what is right or wrong comes a close second.
If St Paul were to be shipwrecked in Malta today he would be pushed back.
Brilliant headline for tourism – Mr Tony Zahra, please note.
“I first have to clear a path through the thick carpet of North African immigrants.”
In all fairness, Bidnija is not Albert Town. The last time I passed through the cross road area opposite Marsa BOV, I pretty much needed a path cleared out as the road was literally lined with a couple hundred migrants all trying to flag down each car that passed by in search of a days’ wage. This remains a daily occurrence witnessed by all passers by, and there are clear situations of exploitation and the infamous “xoghol prekarju”.
“And when I drive home after dark, I have to be extra careful not to hit stray North African immigrants and hedgehogs.”
A couple of years back, I naively passed through Albert Town at night with a foreign guest who was keen on catching a glimpse of the U571 “sub” and found myself in an entirely different and scary country with bonfires burning in oil drums, streets swarming with migrants, and several ladies loitering with intent! The feeling was tribal. Truth be said I cannot say if this was a one off or not – I never ventured near the area again by night.
That said “overwhelmed” is an exaggeration. There are communities of migrants and in some areas they seem to be relatively well integrated. Fine by me – live your lives and let us live ours and through our actions, we do not bother each other and the world keeps on turning.
The same might not be said for open centre and detention areas where there are higher concentrations of migrants – this may appear to be “overwhelming” but only when the area is taken out of the context of the whole country!
This is where the cultural divide becomes ever so evident, and where fuel racist sentiment may be stoked. Yet is this not a necessary evil and part of the process that will ultimately weed out genuine refugees from economic migrants?
In the end those deserving refuge and protection should be given it. Those deserving repatriation should be repatriated. If in the end if it’s a question of some months until the process follows its due course, then so be it.
I think it would make perfect sense if an unused part of Africa had to be annexed (Africa is huge) and made into some sort of region or country where all illegal immigrants can be deported to.
This would be similar to Liberia which was used for a similar purpose in the early 20th century (or late 19th) when slavery was abolished in the United States.
Even Australia (aside from the native Aborigines) was made up of deported Irish and British people.
[Daphne – You Norman Lowell voters live in a world of your own.]
I don’t see why it would be so bad if managed PROPERLY.
Instead of giving them European residence on a silver plate it would be much better to give them the land, education and necessary support they need as the ‘tools’ for them to build and own something of their own.
The Australian (non-natives) did it around 200 years ago. I’m sure these people can do it too.
[Daphne – You know, Chris, the fantasies Lowell’s followers repeat among themselves in their internet groups and at moonlight gatherings, and which seem so obvious and like such a great idea, don’t quite translate into normal life outside.]
“Instead of giving them European residence on a silver plate it would be much better to give them the land, education and necessary support they need as the ‘tools’ for them to build and own something of their own.”
The British tried that with the Maltese and look where that got us.
‘Unused part of Africa’.
Yes, the Imperium will stretch from the Atlantic to Vladivostok and Norman will be the finest of the chosen ones who’ll lead us to ‘alta cultura’.
He can’t even get to terms with basic architectural posits.
And how is it his Annozero keeps getting postponed? 2010 and then 2012, u morru orqdu.
Did Tony Zahra and the Ministry of Tourism agree with this brilliant tourism advert? Come to Malta and share our paradise with North African immigrants! Haqqu Gieh ir Repubblika!
The perfect excuse for land reclamation.
Dear Daphne
Do you know the number of immigrants pre and post EU accession landing in Malta and how many have been repatriated or relocated?
[Daphne – EU accession has nothing to do with it.]
And all this after just two landings… can you imagine what is going to happen if he gets some massive wave of immigrants? Or what he will do if a real crisis had to hit us?
Egypt’s sort of wobbly at the moment. Just what Libya needs.
What national security problems is the PM talking about? As far as I know we haven’t had any terrorist threats or terrorist acts here in Malta. Neither have we had any mass incidents. So please grow up, sir.
I suppose they could go after the National Front tourist market. The skinheads would (sadly) feel right at home among a large sector of the Maltese population.
I was in on holiday in Italy during the third week of July.
One morning, an old man ‘stopped’ my friend and me in the street. You know, just a local shouting ‘Hello, where are you from?’ My friend being French instantly replied ‘France’, and I instead of shutting up and going along with it proudly announced ‘Malta!’.
This intrigued this man (who must have been about 60 going on 70) and he approached us going ‘Ah, Malta, Malta, beautiful!… But you don’t like foreigners, do you?!’. Not being too good at Italian, I turned to my friend and was like ‘What? What is he saying? Tell him we love foreigners!’
So she did, and the old man replied; ‘Ahhh, that’s not true. Everyone knows you want to send all your immigrants back! Malta is too small, isn’t it? So let’s send them all to Italy!’.
I was so taken aback I couldn’t think of anything else to say. All I could hear was my mother telling me ‘When Labour get elected you’re going to be ashamed to say you’re Maltese just like we were during the 80s’ and my colleague telling me ‘We used to tell people abroad we’re from the south of Italy’.
I never thought it would actually happen, but here we are: I am no longer Maltese.