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'Italy, Malta must stop bouncing migration problems off each other' - Napolitano
Update 6 | President George Abela has met with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in Rome.
20 March 2012, 12:00am
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Karl Stagno-Navarra
1 min read
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano (L) and President George Abela at the Quirinale Palace in Rome
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano hit out at what he described as an unacceptable "delay, uncertainty and differences" which are hindering a broad agreement that could establish a common European policy on immigration.
Addressing the media in Rome at the end of a meeting with President George Abela who is on a State Visit to Italy, Napolitano stressed on the urgent need for Europe to "overcome this dilly-dallying."
While stressing that countries like Italy and Malta are the most exposed to the phenomenon, Napolitano expressed his country's committment to work with Malta within all the European Union's fora on the matter.
"It is useless if we keep bouncing problems back and forth to each other," Napolitano said as he seemingly referred to last weekend's diplomatic spat over who was to take 74 Somali migrants who were rescued off Lampedusa by a Tunisian fishing vessel.
Napolitano called on all EU Memeber States to cooperate and keep an open dialogue with migrants countries of transit and origin.
The two Presidents have met in the presence of foreign ministers Tonio Borg and his counterpart Giulio Terzi di Sant' Agata.
President Napolitano also spoke about the current economic crisis facing Europe, and stressed that the measures undertaken to keep all Member States in line with financial and fiscal obligations cannot be ignored.
"2012 will continue to be a very difficult year. We are not over the austerity measures, which are tough but are needed to put us all back on track for the benefit of all, and mostly for the benefit of Europe," Napolitano said.
President Abela is currently being hosted for a working lunch by Prime Minister Mario Monti at Villa Pamphili.
Tomorrow, President Abela is expected to travel to the region of Umbria and will visit a hospital.
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Since we join the EU Malta became a nesting place for
illigal and ligal emigrants to prectice crimes, we must make them pay extra taxes,like they do in the USA.
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Dear Mr President Napolitano, it is very easy to solve the problem of bouncing immigrants from Italy to Malta: Italy must accept that Lampedusa is Italian territory, and if the situation there is so desperate that there it is no longer a safe harbour, then transfer your immigration centres to mainland Italy. So don't come with all that b**sh** about Lampedusa not being a safe port. Food, supplies, commodities, cars, white goods, etc, are shipped regularly from Sicily or mainland Italy by Italian ships to Lampedusa residents.
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Malta and Italy have a common enemy - the invading illegal immigrants, the traffickers in human beings and all those who are helping them.
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Malta and Italy have a common enemy - the invading illegal immigrants, the traffickers in human beings and all those who are helping them.
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Sure Napolitano. Either you take them to Italy as an ex-colonizing power or pick them up and take them back to Libya, Tunisia or to their own countries courtesy of your navy. Your choice. While at it please call here and pick up all our illegal immigrants.
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Malta and Italy have a common enemy - the invading illegal immigrants,the traffickers in human beings and all those who are helping them.
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Dear Presidents of Malta and Italy of course we should not quarrel over problems brought on to us by aliens, we the southern Europe (EU) states should come together and patrol our territories and push back all illegals, starting from the ones we already are harboring in land. If the EU really wants to aid these ppl then aid them in their lands. Maltese and Gozitans - does Lowell still resonates in your memory? Do you still want to keep bickering and do nothing? Next year is the MEP elections - period!
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It is reported that President Napolitano said "it is useless if we keep bouncing problems back and froth at each other". Will someone pls tell us what was our President's reaction to such a statement?
Furthermore, can we have a list of the delegation accompanying President George Abela?
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Il-President ta’ Malta Dr George Abela jwissi kontra l-periklu tal-partitokrazija
http://andrewazzopardi.org/2012/03/17/il-president-ta-malta-dr-george-abela-jwissi-kontra-l-periklu-tal-partitokrazija/
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Thank you for stepping up for Malta Mr. President! The Italians cannot keep on treating us like that when it comes to the illegal immigrants. I'm sure this will feature very highly in your agenda.
