BBC NEWS | Europe | Migrants escape on Italian island

[Peter Korsten]

About time for a political posting...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7848786.stm

The thing is, it's all good and well that the UN criticises the Italian 
government for the conditions in the camp, but with almost 32,000 
immigrants arriving on a total population of 6,000, that's pretty much 
untenable. Before, they would be sent to the Italian mainland and either 
disappear or bribe their way out (it's Italy, after all) and so make 
their way into Europe. And whilst the current Italian government is a 
bunch of right-wing bastards, processing the asylum requests on 
Lampedusa is clearly meant as a deterrent.

Which means that they'll be going to the next closest destination: 
Malta. And trust me, we already have a *big* problem here. In those 
eight years I've lived here, the amount of Africans you see walking 
around has grown exponentially. In 2001, you saw maybe one black face a 
year, now they literally arrive in boatloads, especially since EU ascension.

They shred or dispose of their documents, so they can't be repatriated, 
which means they're stuck on this island that doesn't want them, and 
where they don't want to be either.

One of the results is an increase in xenophobia, and there have been 
other nasty incidents with people who are involved with immigrants.

And Malta has been criticised as well for its treatment of immigrants, 
but what solution is being offered? This is not a rich country, it's a 
very full country, and nobody is offering any help.

Just to show a perspective on the news...

- Peter