Coy about immigration

Maltese anger mounts over rising illegal immigration, from Deutsche Welle:

Even as EU border patrols search for some 70 migrants who went missing near Malta on Aug. 27, the people of the smallest EU state are becoming fed up with rising illegal immigration.

The 70 disappeared when they were swept off a flimsy craft which capsized after it left Libya, according to eight fellow travelers who managed to cling onto the vessel long enough to be rescued. It is one of the worst tragedies involving would-be immigrants in the Mediterranean -- yet the Maltese newspaper's online readers' forum offered little, if any, compassion.

Instead, anger was directed at the thousands of Africans who attempt to cross the waters to Europe. Readers' rage was also aimed at neighboring Libya, from where most of the would-be immigrants depart, and the European Union, which is perceived as turning a blind eye towards a mounting problem.

In the past eight months 2,200 would-be illegal immigrants landed on Malta, the smallest and most densely-populated European Union state. In contrast less than 1,700 arrivals were recorded for the whole of 2007. Given Malta's population of 400,000, it is as if 45,000 people had landed in Germany, Maltese government officials have said.

The island nation has rescued over 9,000 people off its coast in the past five years. Some were found clinging desperately to tuna farm cages after their boats sank. Many others simply disappeared, adding to the unknown toll of Africans who have died in their attempt to find a better life abroad.

Despite appeals for solidarity by church officials, newspaper forums on the staunchly Catholic island suggest that sentiments of racism run high with many Maltese. Malta's main political parties, afraid of harming their country's EU credentials, have been coy about the issue. However, a recent Euro survey showed that illegal immigration is the second highest concern among Maltese citizens, despite their country signing the United Nations' convention on refugees...