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Irregular Immigrants V - What can be done to solve the problem of irregular immigrants?
Results of 30th September 2006
Thereis no hotter issue that concerns the Maltese people than the problem of irregular immigrants. Every week boats with 20, 30 or even more people of mainly African origin land in Malta. Some of them escape from wars or civil wars in their home countries, others try to leave the poverty behind them in search of a better life in Europe. At their arrival they often require medical treatment and vaccination besides food, clothe sand a place to live, of course. The detension camps are filling up more and more. Malta's capacities for refugees are reached, but the stream of incoming irregular immigrants doesn't want to stop. This problem has to be handled well, it has to be solved. The majority of people believe that it can be solved. But how can it be solved?.
Between 13th and 30th September 2006 more than 200 people participated in this online poll. Thank you very much!
Here the details:
254 votes were cast in this poll.
Unfortunately, there were 33 people who voted more than one time. The votes of these 33 people had to be made invalid in order to obtain a result which is more honest and true.
So the number of valid votes was 204.
Here the percentages that the various answers got:
Do not allow them to land in Malta: 14 votes = 6,86 %
Send most of them to other EU countries: 12 votes = 5,88 %
Send all of them back (e.g. to Libya): 69 votes = 33,82 %
Help to build camps in Northern African
countries to keep them there: 13 votes = 6,37 %
Help African countries in need to reach
peace and wealth (long term measures): 79 votes = 38,73 %
Other solutions: 4 votes = 1,96 %
Nothing can be done: 13 votes = 6,37 %
INTERPRETATIONS: The two winning answers are very different and could even be called extremes to each other. Almost four out of ten pollsters are in favour of long term measures, such as helping countries in need to bring them peace and wealth. About one third of the people just want to send irregular immigrants back to their probable departure countries, e.g. to Libya. About a fifth of the people favourise other short term solutions, which at this time have to be considered as a breach of international laws and agreements. Just over six per cent believe that nothing can be done to solve the problem.
The editor would like to point out, that this poll is not representative for the whole country. However, it gives a clear indication anyway.
The Problem of Irregular Immigrants concerns us all. It is important that everyone works together in this matter. There are different options and different ways to solve the problem. Of course, some of the suggested measures have to be declared as extreme. One might say that extreme problems require extreme solutions. However, international laws and agreements cannot be disobeyed. The international community has to work together as well as the community of each country that is involved.
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