Bearing Malta's Cross

Despite an official request from the Maltese Government, Britain refused to take between 35 and 5o migrants from Malta, writes Andrea Perry for the Sunday Express:

Malta has been charged with trying to duck its responsibility for migrants, according to the UK newspaper, the Sunday Express. Writing in last Sunday’s issue, Andrea Perry focused on the problem of irregular immigration in Malta and the Maltese government’s call for help from the European Union. “Britain faces new influx of asylum seekers as holiday island tries to duck responsibility for migrants,” the journalist wrote, referring to Malta’s request to overturn the Dublin Convention so that the island becomes a transit country for refugees.

“If Malta were to become a transit country for refugees, other EU members states like Britain, Italy and France would be compelled to take the lion’s share,” the Sunday Express argued. The newspaper said that Malta first tried to resolve the problem amicably by asking fellow EU members to take 35 to 50 of its migrants each – Britain refused and only two other countries, Holland and Germany, agreed.

The article does give a fair overview of the situation in Malta and it highlights the problems that Malta is facing. However, the newspaper’s opinion writer makes it very clear that Malta does not have a strong ally in the UK. The newspaper’s leader headline, “We can’t bear Malta’s cross”, sums up the editorialist’s argument that Britain should not be forced to solve another country’s problems... "alta has appealed to the EU for help. But Britain, another country swamped by outsiders, should not be forced to take in more. We have already more than our fair share," he newspaper said.

It adds that Malta and Britain are facing the same problems. “Malta’s tradition of hospitality is being eroded by the enormous number of people arriving. Far right politicians are making capital from the crisis. “The same thing is happening here,” the leader writer concludes.