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Small Island, Big Challenge: Irregular Immigration in Malta since 2000
Immigration and more specifically irregular immigration have been current and troubling topics that bear unexpected tasks and challenges for many European countries. Especially if the question of solidarity and burden sharing is raised by other EU members, that demand help and support. After joining the EU in 2004 Malta has experienced irregular immigration in vast amounts, which brings grave challenges to the small island. Therefore, this essay argues, that the EU should take action in helping Malta manage the task of irregular immigration because the country implemented a controversial detention policy, irregular immigrants arriving overwhelm the islands navy as well as government, and immigration causes a rise of anti-immigration movements and violence in Malta.
Detention Policy
One of the most important reasons that justify that the EU should start to take action in helping Malta, is the initiation and maintenance of the countrys strict and controversial detention policy, which has been criticized by different EU institutions. Due to increasing numbers of irregular immigration to Malta, the island established its first Refugee Commissioners Office, in order to cope with the new situation (Mainwaring 2012a, p. 2). This newly established office incorporated a mandatory detention policy for all arriving immigrants and refugees (p.3). The policy entails an unlimited stay in a detention facility. However, after an assessment by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, the immigrant stay in the detention center was limited to 18 months in 2005 (p.2) These facilities are able to hold an amount of 80 people, which was quickly overwhelmed by a number of 2775 arriving immigrants in 2008 (p.2). Moreover, the detention policy is not only strict but also extremely expensive for the Maltese government (p. 3). In 2005 the government spent 6.8 million and in 2008 8.2 million euros on the required staff, facilities, and materials for this policy (p. 3). These expenses can be extremely damaging to the country, due to their weak financial position in Europe. Another controversial point that criticizes the policy is the bad conditions in the detention centers (p. 4). These conditions have been under scrutiny and critique by humanitarian organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières (p. 4). The conditions have been described as inhumane, as there is not enough adequate water, sanitary supplies, and no access to an outdoor area (p. 4). This criticism has been rejected by the Maltese government, as they justify the horrific conditions as necessary to maintain control over the vast influx of irregular immigrants to the small island (p. 4). Allowing such inhumane conditions for the people who come to the country seems harsh and unjustified, but one has to keep in mind that the Maltese island is geographically small and not financially strong. However, after the lengthy stay in the detention centers refugees and immigrants are transferred to open centers, facilities where immigrants can move more freely. (p. 4). Similar to the detention centers, the open centers also show controversial issues (p. 4). The open centers are mostly located in the far south of the island, which allows immigrants to move freely but does not allow any contact to the Maltese society, as well as tourist spots because of its isolated location and strict surveillance (Bernardie-Tahir & Schmoll, 2014, p. 46). This has been under critique because it will most likely create ghettoization and criminalization, as refugees and immigrants do not have the chance to access society or the labor market (p. 46). The aforementioned examples clarify that the EU needs to react and send help to Malta regarding its strict detention policy, as the conditions under which immigrants or refugees have to live are inhuman. This especially contrasts the core values that the EU is keen to represent. Furthermore, these conditions do not aim nor lead to the successful integration of immigrants into the countrys society or labor market, causing ghettoization and criminalization.
Arrival at Sea
Besides the detention policy, another important reason that indicates that the EU needs to assist Malta in its challenge of irregular immigration is the high number of irregular immigrants arriving at the coast of Malta, overwhelming the islands navy and government. Although the island encompasses only a size of 312 km2, making it one of the smallest islands in the world (Mainwaring 2012a, p.1), Malta has a vast search and rescue zone of 250 km2, which obliges the country to help immigrants in distress (Lutterbeck 2009, p. 128). This zone encompasses such a vast size, as Malta is located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Africa and Sicily, and therefore surrounded by blue borders, which clearly shows great disadvantageous regarding irregular immigration and the challenge to control it (p. 119). For example, in 2002 1,686 immigrants arrived at the Maltese coast, which increased in 2004 with 1,723 and once more in 2005 with 2,416 immigrants (p. 121). These numbers may seem little, however, set in the context of the size of Malta, the challenge of irregular immigration becomes evident. For example, 2,000 immigrants arriving in Malta equals 2 million immigrants arriving in a country like Germany (p. 121). Therefore, the Maltese navy, consisting of 200 staff members is overwhelmed with the number of irregular immigrants at sea (p. 128). As a result, the country demands solidarity from other EU members and the aid of the European External Borders Agency Frontex (Mainwaring 2012b, p. 59). Moreover, due to the Dublin Convention, which states that the application for asylum of immigrants or refugees has to be processed by the country of their first arrival, Malta receives vast amounts of applications (Mainwaring 2014, p. 106). For instance, in 2005 there were 1,166 in 2006 1,272, and finally in 2007 1,379 applications for asylum (Lutterbeck 2009, p. 125). This clarifies that irregular immigration at sea affects not only the Navy but also the government, as they have to process a high amount of applications. These high numbers and demanding circumstances clarify that the EU needs to take action in the case of irregular immigration in Malta, as the high numbers of arrivals do not only overwhelm the government and the navy but also cause many refugees or immigrants to drown.
Anti-Immigration Movements and Violence
In addition to the high numbers of immigrants arriving at sea, another significant reason suggesting that the EU should help Malta regarding the high influx of irregular immigrants is the abrupt rise of anti-immigration movements, right-wing parties, and violence against immigrants and refugees, it causes. Similar to the US, Malta has two major parties representing their country, the Malta Labour Party and the Christian-Democrat Nationalist Party (Falzon & Micallef, 2008, p. 393). However, since 2002 right-wing parties have started to establish themselves (p. 393). These parties are the Imperium Europa, Vivamalta, and Azzjoni Nazzjonali, which all have a strong anti-immigration stance (p. 394). These right-wing parties especially gain sympathy due to their anti-immigration rhetoric and the medias portrayal of immigrants and refugees (p. 398). For instance, the media connects the danger of terrorism as well as prostitution to immigration (p. 398). This portrayal fuels public concern that escalates into vandalism as well as violent attacks (p. 398). For example, in 2007 and 2008 two Sudanese immigrants were attacked by racially motivated individuals (Lutterbeck, 2009, p. 141f). The anti-immigration attitudes in the country become also evident in a poll which was conducted in 2005, where 90 percent of the participants stated that they would not want a neighbor of African or Arabic origin (Mainwaring, 2012a, p. 9). Additionally, a survey in 2009 shows that 84 percent of participants perceived immigration to their country as a national crisis (p. 9). The notion of crisis as well as invasion is also used by the government on a local level conveying it to the countrys society as well as on a global level to the EU demanding solidarity and support (p. 6). This shows the clear desperation of the country for the EU to assist the island with the demanding task of irregular immigration. Furthermore, the constant portrayal of a crisis undoubtedly influences Maltese society as well as public discourse and will most likely increase the support for right-wing movements, which is a phenomenon that already exists throughout Europe.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the EU should take action to help Malta cope with the task of irregular immigration because the country implemented a controversial detention policy that has been criticized by various EU institutions for its inhumane conditions, its vast rescue zone, and a high influx of irregular immigrants arriving at sea, overwhelming the countrys navy and government, as well as the sudden rise in anti-immigration movements and violence, caused by immigration. This is significant to acknowledge, as immigration and especially irregular immigration has and will continue to increase, due to various factors, such as climate change. Further research could be conducted on the question of the Maltese detention policy as well as anti-immigration attitudes have been increasing and worsening since the refugee crisis in 2015.
References
- Bernardie-Tahir, N., & Schmoll, C. (2014). Opening up the island: A counter-islandness approach to migration in Malta. Island Studies Journal, 9(1), 4356.
- Falzon, M. A., & Micallef, M. (2008). Sacred island or world empire? Locating far-right movements in and beyond Malta. Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 16(3), 393406. https://doi.org/10.1080/14782800802501039
- Lutterbeck, D. (2009). Small Frontier Island: Malta and the Challenge of Irregular Immigration. Mediterranean Quarterly, 20(1), 119144. https://doi.org/10.1215/10474552-2008-038
- Mainwaring, C. (2012a). Constructing a Crisis: The Role of Immigration Detention in Malta. Population, Space and Place, 18(6), 687700. https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.1721
- Mainwaring, C. (2012b). Resisting destabilization? Malta and Cyprus Influence on EU migration and asylum policies. Refugee Survey Quarterly, 31(4), 3866. https://doi.org/10.1093/rsq/hds013
- Mainwaring, C. (2014). Small States and Nonmaterial Power: Creating Crises and Shaping Migration Policies in Malta, Cyprus, and the European Union. Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies, 12(2), 103122. https://doi.org/10.1080/15562948.2014.909076
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