Here's a view from the Tiny island of Malta which is 120 miles from Libya (North Africa) and 60 miles from Italy.
Malta is 8 miles wide and 18 milesLong...it has a population of 400,000...Regarded as the most densly populated
country on earth.


In Malta we have a constant influx of Boat People arriving or being rescued from the Sea (sometimes 100 miles away).
There are a couple of thousand in Detention Camps in malta...with a constant flow of new arrivals.

This week alone 200 arrived so far. (thursday)

It usually goes like this:
They leave Libya on small craft to sail for Italy (about 200 miles away). They have no intention of coming to Malta.
One of the 'Passengers' will have a Satelite phone who will phone the Italian Coast Guard with a Mayday rescue call.
after a couple hours at sea, thinking they are near Italy.


The Italian coast guard pin points their position using the Satelite phone.
As it's not in the Italian 'Search and Rescue Zone' the italians then pass the message to the Malta Search and Rescue.

The Maltese can not ignore a Distress signal at Sea so must go and 'Rescue' the boatload (100-200 or so) of Men,
women, children.

As the first port of call, Malta must accept them and can not pass them on to Italy.
The new arrivals have no 'Papers' and will not say where they are from..( so can not be Deported).

So...What can Malta do these with 200 or so arriving weekly ? Malta has no accomodation for so many !

So they are put in to a Refugee camp where they are Clothed, fed and given spending money by the
Malta government until they can establish if they have ' Refugee Status' and given leave to stay and live in Malta.
Those who are not given Refugee status..Must stay in Malta though live in the camp.

At the Refugee camp tensions are high...Mostly due to the fact that they are angry to be in Malta and not Italy.

They DONT want to be in Malta...But are stuck there.

The Maltese are in a Difficult situation.
What can they do ?

It's very tiny island and can not let every one stay there (though a quite lot are given 'Refugee or Humanitarian status '

Riots in the camp are common place and Maltese 'Guards' are constantly attacked.

Frustration all around.

I thought I'd post this here so to get poeples Views .

Malta has Rescued all the craft and has never turned any one away...But we have no where to put these people.