Malta will not prostitute its values just to please others - Gonzi

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said Malta, known for its kind people and strong values, will not be identified as being indifferent to human suffering, referring to the growing influx of immigrants arriving at our shores.

17 April 2011, 12:00am
by Martina Said

3 min read

In an interview on radio 101, Gonzi talked at length about the insurmountable differences between himself and Labour leader Joseph Muscat, especially evident by Muscat’s reactions in recent weeks to the immigration situation the country is facing.

“This wide gap between us is made worse every time Joseph Muscat opens his mouth. I would hate to hear anybody, let alone a politician, speak so lowly about human suffering.”

Gonzi said that Muscat’s primary interests are purely national, to which human life is secondary:

"Muscat wanted me to choose between national interest and saving human lives- so if a migrant boat is close to Lampedusa but Italy refuses to save it, Muscat expects me to not send an order out to the AFM to rescue it.

An immigrant from Eritrea or Somalia is still a national interest because it’s a human life. Since when does Maltese politics have such politicians?

Just 24 hours after rescuing a boat with a dead pregnant woman aboard, because after nine days at sea all she was able to drink was sea water, and which we were obliged to save because the boat was within our waters, Muscat said we should package them off to Sicily.

Can someone tell me what heart this man has? How can we put them on a plane to Italy, like they are some kind of merchandise? These things are acceptable from nobody, let alone leader!

Malta will not prostitute its values just to please others. He is going against the values that we believe in as a country. We choose life when there is a choice between life and fear; life and egoism. We have to continue to expose the needs of our country; that we do need help with this burden, but we cannot ignore the value of life,” Gonzi said.

He continued “Muscat’s values embarrass our country all the time before other people. Now it is enough, he cannot continue to do so.

"In our country’s history, the PL was known for doing nothing but strange things, and aligned itself with dictatorial countries that were condemned for their ways. I take this very seriously, because all he is doing is planting negativity in a very small part of the population, but it is a part of the Maltese nonetheless.”

Gonzi said that government is working and communicating with different countries for support on the issue of immigration, encouraging others to help share the load.

“Malta has exercised the value of solidarity in many areas, and will do so in the area of immigration. A success of government here can be seen with Malta’s communication with the US to take immigrants, and for them to be given legal residence in America. That is how we have to work.

"We cannot witness the massacre that women, men and children are suffering and take a back seat in this difficult time. So we continue to be there for the humanitarian part we have vowed to play.”

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Antoine Vella In an other page I called you a morom. I am very sorry, you are not a moron but a bloody abnoxious person. Is your brain healthy enough to counter this flood of comments. You are also a bullshitter. If you are so apprehensive about the immigrants why don't you take a couple of them home and give board and lodging. Talk is cheap bro. I told you bro, don't trust Gonzi, he is a pathological liar and you still believe him ergo you'r ABNOXIOUS.

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Finland too is seems to be in favour of 'prostituting' its values! Tad-dahk u tal-biki fl-istess hin! We are going down at a fast speed into the rabbit hole; it was dug for us at Castille!

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is seem the PM is prostituting Antoine Vella who repeats the same things over and over again in exchange for

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Prostituzzjoni imma meta l qahba tiehu euro u l pimp jiehu 500!

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Oh my! Such a flurry of comments to excuse the inexcusable. . No, we will not leave people to drown and yes, all those who need help will be rescued. Racists may rant and stamp their feet all they want but Malta will not follow the callous example set by Lega Nord.

duncan abela •

Experience has always made me be wary of the holier than thou brigade amongst politicians. I am suspicious of those who try to ride a moral high horse on difficult terrain to gain some hoped for political advantage. It will be a sobering lesson and amusing to watch what they will do when their moral horse rears its hind legs and lets them fall on their political backside . They will then truly learn the hard way what real politik and good riding skills are all about.

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Amerca prostitutes its values by keeping Mexicans out, Italy exports its values to France, and in turn France prostitutes its values by sending them back to Italy. The UK has protestant values and does not want more illegal immigrants. Germany and the rest make sure Malta remains the only country in Europe which does not prostitutes its values! Win win situation for the EU; Mad mad situation for the erst of us here! With GonziPN who needs to prostitute his values; we will remain stupid virgins!

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David Cameron OUR AIM So, taking all this into account, I believe controlling immigration and bringing it down is of vital importance to the future of our country. That's why during the election campaign, Conservatives made a clear commitment to the British people… …that we would aim to reduce net migration to the levels we saw in the 1980s and 1990s. Now we are in government, we are on track to meet that aim. We are controlling legal immigration - having introduced a cap on non-EU economic migrants. We are clamping down on illegal immigration. And we are getting to grips with the asylum system too.

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Polling has ended in Finland in a parliamentary election that may affect future EU bail-outs if a rising nationalist party has done well.Polling organisations have given the True Finns more than 15%, a leap from the 4% they won in 2007. With its charismatic leader Timo Soini, the party rejects rescue funds for EU "squanderers", as well as opposing immigration

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Spain is put up a $35 million, 10-foot high fence around its North African enclave city, Melilla, and a similar fence around the city of Ceuta. The fences are two rows of high wire barricades equipped with security cameras and fiber-optic sensors, with a road running between them for police patrols. Most of the funding for the fences has come from the European UnionMost foreigners from sub-Saharan countries do not have the money to pay for passage by boat to Spain. They usually apply for asylum in Ceuta and Mellilla, and Morocco refuses to accept their return. Some sub-Saharan Africans report that they did not think of migrating to Europe until they met up with other Africans wandering around Algeria and Morocco who told them about Ceuta and Melilla.

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Greece‘s government has not given up on its plans to erect a fence along the country’s border with Turkey in order to counter the influx of illegal immigrants, Christos Papoutsis, the Greek Minister for Citizen Protection said.

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France has shut its border to trains from Italy in an attempt to stop north African migrants and political activists from entering the country. The action drew a formal protest on Sunday from Rome and accusations it was violating European principles.complained about being "left alone" by European Union partners to deal with thousands of mainly Tunisian migrants who have arrived on its southern island of Lampedusa in recent weeks, fleeing political turmoil in North Africa. It has began issuing migrants with temporary permits allowing them to leave Italy to travel to other destinations in Europe, a policy which has been criticised by several of its partners, including France and Germany. Some of the countries in the 27-nation EU are worried that offering shelter to too many migrants will encourage more to attempt illegal entry to Europe. Roberto Maroni, Italy's interior m

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LE ma naqblux ma Gonzi. Idawwar kollox kif jaqbillu. Jahseb li kullhadd iblah. . Prosit alan smith re yr comments on Gonzi's appalling detention centres & the fact that Gonzi repatriated illegal immigrants to countries where there is no assured safety. This is Gonzi's DOUBLE SPEAK!

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I think the only people used as prosititutes when it comes to illegal immigration are the Maltese people. The EU is to blame. They are part of the problem and not the solution as Saint Gonzi is trying to make us believe. Gonzi is the only Maltese citizen who believes the eu will help us. They will not help us especially if you send Minister Mifsud Bonnici to negociate. He is a total failure in Malta, immagina x jista jinnegozja ma pajjizi ohra

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Dr Muscat issuggerixxa li 171 immigrant illegali jintbghatu l-Italja wara li Silvio Berlusconi ammetta li kellhom jiddahlu l-Italja! Dr Gonzi ma jridx, jrid jhallijjhom hawn! Taqblu ma Gonzi?1

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BREAKING NEWS THE FIRST PERSON TO BE CANNONISED WHILE STILL LIVING IS MALTESE LAWRENCE GONZI FOR SAINTHOOD Pope Razzi is going to cannonise the PM of Malta Lawrence Gonzi. The procedure will be fast tracked. So fast infact that reliable sources say that Gonzi will be a Saint by not later than August 15 of this year feast of Santa Maria. As regards miracles one has been veried by thousands; it is his ability to make people believe they are seeing white when it is actually black. There 3 motivations for his nomination to sainthood: His defence of the family against the scourge of divorce. His love and charity for poor illegal immigrants and for persuading every member of the Nationalist Party to adopt one illegal immigrant. Preferably of tal-Habbaziz kind. The iniative was a huge success and though no official figures are available it is rumoured that the largest number of PN members wanting to participate in the Adopt an Immgrant campaign where from Sliema, the traditional PN stronghold. Known for its charity and solidarity towards the poor, especially black or better still Arabic poor. To rectify for the mistake the church committed in not cannonising his uncle Archbishop Gonzi for his heroic battle during the 60s agianst the hordes of iniquity lead by evil personifed DOM MINTOFF.

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I love it when politicians use the world "prostitute". Isn't that what they are always doing to get votes. I just a d a good laugh.

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Fact JM never said that anyone should be left to drown. Gonzi had no problem repatriating illegal immigrants even to countries where their safety cannot be assured. Gonzi applies a detention policy which has been criticized by many including amnesty international. Conditions in the Gonzi open centres have been called appalling by foreign experts. The EU have accused Gonzi of not doing enough to help those at sea. UNHCR spokesperson Laura Boldrini says Gonzi's claims that 27 migrants chose to go back to Libya are not credible.Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni and his Maltese counterpart Carm Mifsud Bonnici met right after both countries last week turned down a Turkish cargo vessel which had rescued over 140 would-be illegal immigrants. Malta had argued that Lampedusa was the nearest safe port. Italy insisted the immigrants should be taken to Malta since they were found in Malta’s search and rescue area. The immigrants were eventually accepted by Italy. And then Gonzi comes out talking about values. U le

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I take it that GonziPN is not referring to appeasing the Vatican in the divorce matter, right?

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To Antoine Vella: I don't like to answer to apologists like you. But you called me Xenophobic. Xenophobic my ass, read what Gaddafi himself said, that, if he is not given five billion Euros a year, he was ready to fill Europe with millions of African migrants. Although he is losing power, he is keeping that promise. Just imagine if this guy stays in power. You have some gall to call other people names.

Jessica Chetcuti •

Good bit of spin there Antoine. So when JM mentions national interest first and foremost, you interpretate that as meaning let the immigrants drown. I don’t believe that he ever said such a thing, if he did would you kindly produce the quote. What Dr Muscat did say was that the country should be ready to raise the stakes. Not by letting anyone drown, but by drawing the attention of the international community in helping us to get things moving. Unfortunately for us the EU is not very accommodating

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Charity begins at home Sur Prim Ministru. The real human sufferings are those of Maltese civil servants who are being politically discriminated by your administration day-in-day out. Notwithstanding that we have been EU members for 7 years, you continue to administer through political vindictiveness. . That is where the real WIDE GAP is! . I hope the time will come when you and the half dozen people around you will have to respond for their actions.

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@ Antoine Vellla Naqbel mieghek 100% li jekk thalli l-imigranti jerghqu huwa delitt, izda INT qatt smajt lil Dr.Muscat jghid dak il kliem? Jekk iva ikkwotalna meta u fejn. Jekk le ieqaf spinja gidba ghax minn jigdew taf x'insejhulu hux?

Patricia Marsh •

Charity begins at Home Beatu Antoine Vella. Your beloved Prime Minister does not care about his own people but try to convince me that he cares about others!

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Charles_Zebbugi, your xenophobic sentiments are exactly the kind of base emotions that Joseph Muscat is fanning.

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Let's call things by their real name. Letting people drown is murder and no amount of bluster about "national interest" can justify it. ' Thank goodness the PM will never adopt the far-right policies advocated by the Lega Nord in Italy and the PL in Malta.

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Wednesday, December 31, 2008, 12:00 Updated: 3,020 immigrants repatriated since 2004 - ministry A total of 3,020 immigrants have been repatriated between 2004 and the end of November, including 968 Egyptians, a spokesman for the Home Affairs Ministry said I guess things have changed ej ??

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He gets his news from NET TV and believes all the spin they put into their "news" The Maltese have a problem with the EU response to the immigrant crisis. Many leaders have taken a strong and NIMBY approach but Gonzi wants to score a few Brownie points on this issue. By the way there are various reports against Malta by those that have been saved and who have been here soaking up the Gonzi hospitality who believe they are not better off from the country they fled.

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Dr.Gonzi, tista tghidilna ezattament meta smajt jew qrajt lil Dr.Muscat jghid kliem dispregjattiv jew razzist fuq l-emigranti illegali? Ahjar tikkoncentra fuq kif tista iggib ghajnuna bil-fatti mil-EU, ghax in-nies milquta specjalment dawk li joghqodu f'zoni fejn hemm ikkoncentrati eluf ta refugjati ma jahsbuwiex bhalek.