By MaltaMedia News
Jul 18, 2006
After the arrival of 77 illegal immigrants between the morning and later afternoon of Monday, another two groups of 24 and 30 illegal immigrants each reached Malta.
In five different boatloads, at least 131 illegal immigrants reached Maltese shores in under 24 hours. The two most recent cases included 24 illegal immigrants landing in Wied il-Għajn and a further 30 landing in Għar Lapsi. The two groups arrived in Malta during the evening.
The 24 illegal immigrants that landed in Wied il-Għajn consist of 23 men and a woman. The illegal immigrants claimed that they had originally traveled in a group of 25, launching a police search for a missing illegal immigrant.
In turn, later on another 30 illegal immigrants reached the Għar Lapsi shore after traveling on a 16-foot-long boat. Police investigations continue.
Earlier on Monday another three boats brought a further 77 illegal immigrants to Malta. One boatload of illegal immigrants was brought into Haywharf by AFM members at around 1810CEST. The 19-foot-long vessel contained 25 passengers, including a woman and a child.
Earlier during the afternoon another group of 28 illegal immigrants was brought ashore after the AFM asked a commercial vessel set to dock in a Maltese port, to rescue the illegal immigrants and bring them ashore. The illegal immigrants are from Somalia.
In turn, another group of 24 illegal immigrants reached Delimara on an 18-foot-long boat. They landed near the power station at around 0030CEST. 17 of the illegal immigrants are men, while nine are women.
The total number of illegal immigrants to reach Malta since January 2006 now stands at 1,144.
At an European Union level, On Wednesday the European Commission will adopt a plan to establish European Union rapid reaction teams aimed at safeguarding the borders of countries with a high influx of immigrants. According to EUobserver during their last meeting before summer recess on Wednesday, commissioners are set to approve a document which outlines the tasks and rules under which “rapid border intervention teams” will operate.
The plan is based on a voluntary scheme where member states willing to participate in the project will draw up a list of national border guards available to other countries in critical situations. The rapid intervention teams will work on an unplanned basis. They will be deployed in times of crisis to aid control and surveillance performed by the national border guard service of the requesting member states.
International media highlighted Malta’s incrementing problems tied to the illegal immigration issue, with leading international newspapers ‘The International Herald Tribune,’ and the German daily ‘Frankfurter Allegmaine Zeitung’ reporting a contribution by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo addressing Malta’s main concerns on illegal immigration during the EU-AU Tripoli Ministerial Conference, held last week.
Source: Malta Media, July 18, 2006
