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Malta: Upstart MEP candidate stresses burden-sharing "I haven't seen the billboard yet, but I think I might have screwed up part of the Nationalist campaign," Marlene Mizzi tells me with a twinkle in her eye. We are seated around the kitchen table in her Tal-Virtù home, discussing the ongoing MEP election campaign as the overfriendly family cat makes constant attempts to claw its way up my trouser-leg. Unlike Marlene, I happened to have just driven past the billboard in question on my way up Saqqaja hill. It portrays a black tree against a blood-red backdrop, in what would have been a very effective poster for a 1970s horror film. The Labour Party's past four leaders - Mintoff, Mifsud Bonnici, Sant and Muscat - make up the tree-trunk, and the "branches" end in snapshots of each Labour MEP candidate... including, naturally, Marlene Mizzi. Malta Today

Malta: Opposition leader backs Italy's hard-line policy Italy's new hard-line policy to immediately return migrants to Libya was welcomed by Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat, who said he just hoped the move was not a mere electoral stunt.... Malta: Disputes with Italy continue over failure to rescue migrants The Prime Minister yesterday launched the most scathing attack so far on Italy, saying his government was 'disgusted to hear of other countries in the Mediterranean who refuse to rescue... Malta: Gov't will assist migrants in distress on a case-by-case basis The Maltese government understands the difficulties that are being faced by Italy with regard to illegal migration, but stated that Malta is facing an even bigger problem, and therefore Italy's...

More Malta Immigration News

Malta: Opposition party accused of undermining national interest

The Nationalist Party said today it strongly condemned a statement issued by the Labour Party on illegal immigration, saying the party had destroyed national consensus on this issue and put partisan interests before the national interest. 'Through its decision to...
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Malta: Opposition leader urges gov't to stand firm against illegal entry

Malta must stand firm on immigration and seriously tackle the issue, said Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat during a party activity in Msida yesterday. He also called for a strategy to address the issue in the long term rather than on...
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Malta: European Parliament socialist group leader pledges support on immigration

The head of the socialist group in the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, has declared that Malta has a special case on illegal immigration and needs to be given immediate attention for solutions to be found. The declaration was made in...
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Malta: High-level talks held on burden-sharing for illegal immigration

It was the turn of Foreign Minister Tonio Borg yesterday to appeal to EU countries to share the burden of illegal migration, which under the EU's Immigration and Asylum Pact is not obligatory. Justice and Interior Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici...
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Malta: Foreign Minister holds parley on illegal immigration with Italian counterpart

Foreign Minister Tonio Borg and Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini have held talks in Luxembourg on illegal immigration. The talks were held prior to the start of an EU foreign ministers' meeting which is also discussing migration. The Foreign Ministry...
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Malta: Open borders creates multitude of problems

Over the last decade, EU countries have experienced a rapid rise in both legal and illegal immigration, mostly from Turkey and Eastern Europe (Albania and Serbia leak massively) and North Africa. Each spring and summer, Malta and other Mediterranean states...
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Malta: Gov't expresses wariness of voting rights for migrants

Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil said today that the issue of voting rights for migrants was crucial for Malta because the country could not afford to give such rights to the 5,200 immigrants currently living here. "This is one of the...
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Malta: MEP hails body's adoption of his immigration policy report

Maltese European parliamentarian Simon Busuttil on Tuesday saw his hard-fought report on a Common Immigration Policy for Europe being passed through parliament with a healthy majority. He also seized the occasion to blast Italian Home Affairs Minister Roberto Maroni's "shameful"...
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Malta: Dispute with Italy over lax enforcement escalates

If there is anyone who expects Malta to take illegal immigrants that are his responsibility, he can forget it" - Mifsud Bonnici Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici has reacted strongly to comments reported to have been made by Italian...
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Malta: International NGO slams detention policies, conditions

Brussels -- Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the international humanitarian assistance agency that pulled out of detention centres in Malta, yesterday took its case to the European stage, presenting a report to the European Parliament. Addressing the Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee,...
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Malta: Group seeks volunteers to care for child refugees

The Emigrants Commission has called for more couples or families to volunteer to care for refugee babies or young children while their mothers go to work. Mgr Philip Calleja, director of the commission, said some 65 children were currently being...
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Malta: Professor's research warns of 'stigma' associated with refugees

An African refugee walked into a clothes shop and when she picked up a top to take a closer look the salesperson told her to take her 'black hands' off the garment. In a separate incident, a young man was...
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Malta: Survey finds population concerned about immigration 'crisis'

The perception of immigration as a crisis is rooted in wild misconceptions regarding the actual scale of the problem facing Malta, a MaltaToday survey shows. The survey reveals that 84% think Malta faces a 'national crisis' because of immigration. But...
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Malta: Bishop lashes out at detention policies

Illegal immigrants are detained on arrival for up to 18 months. Gozo Bishop Mario Grech chose the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows to lash out at the government's policy to detain illegal immigrants whose only crime was escaping persecution...
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Malta: African immigrants surpassed by other, non-E.U. foreigners

Over 8,100 non-EU, non-African nationals, currently hold a permit to reside in Malta, according to figures obtained by The Sunday Times. The figure surpasses by at least 3,000 the total number of African immigrants currently believed to be in Malta....
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Malta: Talks with Tunisia explore approaches to illegal immigration

Malta and Tunisia discussed the way forward on irregular immigration. The issue of illegal immigration and repatriation were up for discussion during the bilateral talks on the occasion of the 7th session of Maltese Tunisian Commission. The issue of illegal...
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Malta: Opposition party slams security at detention center

The Opposition this morning slammed lack of security at detention centres and said it was unacceptable that people on duty there were injured. But the government insisted that the forces of law and order intervened as soon as the riots...
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Malta: 500 detainees force their way out of detention facility

Special forces from the army re-entered the detention compound in Safi in full riot gear, after calm was restored, to identify the ring leaders of yesterday's protest, which involved some 500 migrants. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli. About 500 rejected asylum seekers...
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Malta: Opposition pleased with cooperation on immigration policy

Azzjoni Nazzjonali leader Josie Muscat said today that his party was pleased that the PL had adopted seven of its 10 proposals on illegal migration. Speaking at a press conference in reaction to last week's debate in Parliament, Dr Muscat...
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Malta: Advocates fret 'bleak future' for low-skilled immigrants

Two Somali women are claiming they are homeless, unemployed and hungry since being forced to leave one of the open centres. 'We haven't slept in days. My son is only two years old, and he is living in the streets...
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Malta: More violence erupts at immigration detention center

Valetta, Malta (DPA) -- At least one person was injured Monday during clashes at a migrant detention centre in Malta, officials said. An undisclosed number of would-be immigrants fled from the centre during the disturbances, in which rioters also started...
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Malta: E.U. justice minister calls for expansion of aid

EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot has urged the European Commission to increase its aid to Malta in view of the problem of illegal migration. According to the information note prepared by Mr Barrot's cabinet, 'due to its small size and...
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Malta: Gov't reaches search and rescue agreement with Libya

Malta and Libya have signed a memorandum of understanding on search and rescue, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this evening. 'The memorandum of understanding is inspired by the desire of Malta and Libya to further promote the friendly relations...
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Malta: Danish leaders briefed on island's illegal alien crisis

Danish MPs are being briefed on the disproportionate influx of irregular migrants to Malta during a series of one-to-one meetings with Paul Radmilli, the head of mission at Malta's Embassy in Copenhagen. During the meetings, Mr Radmilli is raising issues...
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