'Large scale Detention Centre'

Malta turning into 'detention centre', Social Affairs Minister tells EUObserver's Lucia Kubosova:

Maltese authorities say they face an increase in racist sentiment among the country's population, with inflows of illegal immigrants turning the island into a large-scale "detention centre." According to the Maltese government, the island of 400,000 inhabitants and 316 square km - the highest population density in the EU - received 1,800 immigrants last year. With 750 more arrivals this year, the immigrant community now numbers around 3,000.

"We have always prided ourselves on being a very hospitable nation, but unfortunately we have seen the beginning of racism over the past three years or so," Cristina Dolores, the country's family and social affairs minister, told EUobserver. She said the Maltese government is struggling to send a message of tolerance to their citizens but she admitted she herself felt "sympathy" for some of their concerns.

"It is the growing numbers of people in one area that is worrying. In a small country like Malta this leads to fears that there is not enough housing - which is true - or that we don't have enough jobs and that people coming from outside will encroach on something seen as belonging to the locals." "Moreover, most of these people don't want to stay in Malta. They just wait to proceed further in Europe so it is hard for us to do something for them and integrate them in our country."

The Maltese government is angry that it is forced to deal with what it considers an EU-wide problem. "We're being left on our own for far too long. I'm not talking only about funds but resettlement – family reunification," said Mrs Dolores criticising the lack of EU help. Under current EU rules, the country that takes in the migrants has to take care of them and prevent them moving elsewhere in the EU. Mrs Dolores
claims these rules are slowly turning Malta into "a macro closed detention centre where people are being obliged to stay even if they don't want to."..

During his visit to Malta this week, Frattini took part in a regular EU boat patrol around the island which is part of an operation called "Nautilus". He said there is evidence to suggest would-be immigrant smugglers "took note of the announced beginning of the operations [set to last for several weeks] and concentrated their activities towards the end of the missions." The market price for smuggling a person dropped from $1000 to $250 just days before Nautilus kicked off. Preparing for a temporary cessation of their activities the priced dropped to increase customers before activities had to come to a halt. Because of helicopter patrols, smugglers have also changed the colour of boats from red to blue and grey, in a bid to be less easily spotted, Mr Frattini pointed out...

From UPI: Malta becoming more racist