Government seeking readmission agreement with Libya

The government is to hold a meeting with the Libyan authorities in the coming month in an attempt to draw up a readmission agreement to staunch the inflow of illegal immigrants.

No fewer than 378 illegal immigrants landed on Maltese territory on three separate occasions in five days last week.

A readmission agreement, which already exists with Italy, would enable the Maltese authorities to repatriate immigrants to Libya, once it is established that their trip originated from there.

Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said he would be meeting a Libyan government delegation in Malta next month.

The minister admitted that such an agreement would not be easy to conclude, but added that he hoped it would eventually apply to all other North African countries.

He said that the problem stemmed mainly from North Afri-can countries, Libya in particular.

"I am not blaming the Libyan authorities since they have to monitor a 2,000-kilometre coast - but this is causing us a lot of problems," Dr Borg said.

He said that in the meantime, the immigration authorities were trying to obtain the necessary documentation to repatriate other immigrants currently being detained in Malta.

"We will cater for those officially recognised as refugees, but those whose application is turned down have to leave," was the minister's frank reply.

The concerns of the immigration authorities were dealt a further blow on Friday when a group of 235 illegal immigrants, packed like sardines on a battered 50-foot fishing boat, landed at Marsaxlokk.

The illegal immigrants, hailing from 15 countries, were yesterday arraigned in court for entering Malta illegally.

Apart from the Egyptians, all the illegal immigrants said they wanted to apply for refugee status.

The immigrants were conditionally discharged for six months, and their boat was confiscated.

The human drama unfolded in broad daylight on Friday, as 141 men, 30 women and 64 children, most of whom appeared exhausted, were taken off the boat.

Police questioned at length three men who were thought to have navigated the boat, which is understood to have left from Libya.

The number of illegal immigrants in Malta now exceeds 800, with the immigration facilities at Ta' Kandja, Hal Far, and Safi Barracks stretched to the limit.

The situation has become so serious that several immigrants are also being detained at police headquarters in Floriana.

Most of the immigrants are reportedly heading towards Sicily, to make their way into mainland Europe.

But their trip is often cut short, after they run out of fuel or head in the wrong direction. The immigrants often throw away their passport at sea in an attempt to make repatriation difficult.

The Armed Forces were on high alert yesterday morning following a report that another boat, packed with illegal immigrants, was heading towards Malta.

The report proved to be false.

Yet another 133 illegal immigrants, in two different boats, landed on the Italian island of Lampedusa, south of Malta, on Friday.