News

Tunisia urged to end its hostile attitude towards Sub-Saharan migrants

TUNISI (ITALPRESS/MNA) (ITALPRESS) – A United Nations committee remarked that the number of arbitrary detentions of migrants from south of the Sahara has significantly increased throughout Tunisia since the beginning of February. Many of them continue to be detained, including in Ouardiàs administrative detention facility, where some migrants have been in detention for more than 18 months.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) urged Tunisiàs highest authorities to publicly condemn and distance themselves from racist hate speech. It also called upon the State to combat all forms of racial discrimination and racist violence against migrants especially from the south of the Sahara and black Tunisian citizens.
The Committee said it was alarmed by the remarks made by Tunisiàs Head of State in late February, alleging that “hordes of illegal migrants” arriving from African countries south of the Sahara were part of “a criminal plan to change the composition of the demographic landscape of Tunisia” and were the source “of violence, unacceptable crimes and practices”. The Committee declared that such remarks were in contravention of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
Following the remarks made by Tunisiàs Head of State, hundreds of migrants from countries such as Ivory Coast, Mali, Guinea and Senegal decided to return to their home countries and thousands of others left Tunisia on illegal boats, some of them lost their live, while trying to reach Italy. Many other migrants and refugees from the south of the Sahara were forcibly evicted from their houses or have lost employment, and sought protection and assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)

– foto: agenziafotogramma.it

(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Finland joins NATO, Stoltenberg “Historic day”

BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Finland becomes the 31st member of NATO. The membership becomes effective following the meeting of the foreign ministries of the Atlantic Alliance held on April, 4.
“Today is a historic day, we welcome Finland. On this very day, in 1949, the Treaty establishing NATO was signed in Washington,” said the Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg.
“And it is hard to imagine a better way to celebrate our anniversary than by having Finland become a full member of the Alliance,” he continued.
“NATO foreign ministers met at a crucial moment for our security, with President Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” adding, “I expect that when the allies meet at the summit in Vilnius, will accept a more ambitious defense investment commitment, in which we consider 2% of the GDP for defense as only the minimum. We need to invest more in our safety, in a world that is more dangerous”.
Furthermore, “China and Russia are getting closer and closer, work together, and it becomes even more obvious that we have to stay together with our partners in the Indo-Pacific,” Stoltenberg said.

– photo Agenziafotogramma.it –

(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

500 migrants left abandoned in high seas in Maltàs SAR region

LA VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – 500 migrants are at risk in the Maltese search and rescue area with the weather conditions at sea are highly dangerous. This was confirmed by the international NGO Alarm Phone in a tweet.
The NGO confirmed that it has alerted authorities to immediately launch a rescue operation. According to Alarm Phone, it made contact with the 500 migrants who confirmed the very dangerous condutions including strong winds at 27 knots and high waves.
Alarm Phone declared the situation as “scarey” with the risk of migrants losing their lives. It also urged European authorities to launch a search and rescue operation without delay.
The NGO confirmed that it repeatedly reached out to the Italian Search and Rescue Centre giving updates about the urgent distress facing this group of migrants. However, the Italian authorities directed Alarm Phone to contact the Maltese Search and Rescue Centre in Valletta as it is considered as the “responsible authority”. Alarm Phone urged all authorities “to live up to their responsability” and “rescue the migrants without delay”.
-photo agenziafotogramma.it-
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Maltàs PM committed to controlling the public finances

LA VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela met with the European Commissioner for Budget and Administration Johannes Hahn in Valletta, at an important time when a change in EU budgets is being proposed.
Abela insisted on his government’s commitment to supporting families and businesses despite the international financial challenges and other issues related to the war in Ukraine, the excessive rise in energy prices, inflation, and mass migration.
He added that while the Maltese government will keep its finances in check, it will continue assisting financially the families and businesses and will introduce an increase in the stipends for students and the children’s allowance.
While referring to European values, the Maltese Prime Minister declared that it is futile if the commitment to address the present challenges is not shared equally.
-photo DOI –
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Malta, Labour faced with MP resignation

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar has resigned from the Labour Party but will stay on as as an independent Member of Parliament. This was confirmed by the Labour party saying that the Labour leader Robert Abela received a letter from Cutajar informing him that she would no longer form part of the Labour Party’s parliamentary group. The statement comes just minutes away the Labour Party’s executive meeting was scheduled to discuss her fate within the party, after Cutajar was given an ultimatum by Abela last week to resign or else be kicked out by the executive. Abela had initially attempted to dismiss the WhatsApp exchange between Cutajar and Daphne Caruana Galiziàs murder suspect Yorgen Fenech as misogynistic. However, last week he hinted that he expects her to step down after attempts to defend the embattled MP seemingly failed to produce the desired results. Cutajar said the decision was taken with serenity but with heavy heart since the Labour Party was her second family for the past thirteen years. “I will take time to take care of my health, my new family, and grow professionally,” she said.

foto: Fonte Department of Information

(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Malta needs solutions to solve its building uglification

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The president of Malta George Vella, appealed for “radical” decisions to stop practices immediately that are not producing the desired results and urged the regulatory entities need to be “agents of change” as he urged them to provide solutions to the current state of the environment in Malta and Gozo. The president who was addressing the fourth edition of the Malta Architecture and Spatial Planning Awards organised by the Planning Authority, Vsaid the planning watchdog and other regulatory bodies need to be “agents of change” as he urged them to provide solutions to the current state of the environment. Two diametrically opposite trends are emerging, president Vella said, highlighting that on one hand there are the efforts of a sizeable group of interdisciplinary teams that create excellence whilst on the other there is a much bigger group of architects and engineers that are simply contributing to an “ever-increasing sprawl of impersonal soulless construction, taking up all available open spaces”. The president of Malta added “these two trends are working against each other, and declared that a “prime example” of overdevelopment is Gozo and warned about the impacts of its “uglification” on tourism and the community.
(ITALPRESS).
-foto Doi-


Source: medNews

EU, Meloni “Anchor Balkans to the European family”

ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “I remain convinced that the best path for the full stabilization of the Balkans is to anchor definitively the region to the European family”. This was stated by the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, in a video message while greeting the Ministerial Meeting on the Western Balkans. “In 2022 we have reached historic milestones. Italy supported with determination the opening of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia and the decision of the European Council to recognize Bosnia and Herzegovina as a candidate status. We must now maintain this pace and move forward, using all the incentives available. It’s vital for both the Balkan region and Europe, to change pace on the process of the region’s integration within Europe and obtain concrete development. Europe is your home and Italy will always be there by your side on this journey”.

– photo Agenziafotogramma.it –

(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Libya denounces UN report on violations against illegal migrants

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Libyan government declared that the improving in the conditions of migrants in Libya requires solidarity and support with United Nations agencies and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as well as active states in the international community.
In its reaction to the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission’s report on violations against illegal immigration in Libya, the Government of National Unity declared that Libya refuse to be held responsible for the failure of the international community to resolve “this thorny and painful document” and called for expanding and stepping up the support of the voluntary return program”. Libyàs Foreign Ministry admitted that some detention centres inside Tripoli lacked international aid or had little support from international organizations. The Ministry remarked that most government-run centres treat illegal immigrants in private health centers at the government expense and provide free meals regularly, while the civil society activities and individual initiatives of Libyans provide aid and relief to migrants inside detention centres throughout the country.
The Ministry emphasized that the UN report did not mention the cooperation of the Public Prosecutor and the Ministry of Defence in dismantling local networks for smuggling illegal immigrants and human trafficking in Bani Walid, Al-Qurayyat, and Al-Shwerif. It further noted the Libyan authorities’ success in freeing many migrants held captive in illegal detention centers run by international gang traffickers.
(ITALPRESS).
– photo credit agenziafotogramma.it-


Source: medNews

Gianni Morandi in Malta for the second concert in four years

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Italian singer Gianni Morandi will be giving a concert in Malta in August. The concert will take place on 12 August at Fort Manoel on Manoel island and is being organised by Malta Globe Music. Morandi will visit Malta as part of his tour ‘Go Gianni Go!’. The last time Gianni Morandi was in Malta was in 2019. He wowed his fans at the MFCC in Tà Qali with his best hits such as “Occhi di ragazza,” “Scende la pioggia,” and “La fisarmonica”. During his first visit, Morandi described it as “always emotional.” Morandi added that he likes Malta very much and wishes to come for a holiday, to sing and if everything goes well on a holiday with my wife.” In February, Morandi presented Sanremo along with Amadeus.

Foto: agenziafotogramma.it

(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Malta, new vessel to reinforce its borders

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – While the Armed Forces of Malta has received a new 75-metre patrol boat which is manned by a 40-strong crew to reinforce its border control surveillance, according to UN information, Malta has taken in just one irregular migrant from the sea so far this year as the number of arrivals to Italy has tripled.
Considered as the largest vessel in the history of law enforcement following an investment of €53 million co-financed by the EU, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said the Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta plays a very important role for security especially being an island surrounded by sea and this ship will give us those skills that we didn’t have until today.
The Brigadier of the Armed Forces, Clinton O’Neill, explained how this ship will help soldiers protect national security. “This is a ship which can be used for more roles than we had before; it lasts longer at sea depending on how it is used, it can accommodate more people and is equipped with new aerials and communication and also other things that will help our operation.
Minister Silvio Schembri and Parliamentary Secretary Chris Bonett said that this vessel is the beginning of an investment by European funds in the field of security. They said the Government has €200 million in European funds dedicated to other investments in the field of defence, also in order to ensure that the Maltàs borders are better protected.
This comes as United Nations data shows that only one asylum seeker was rescued by the AFM at sea in 2023, while the number of arrivals to Italy has tripled.
According to the UN’s Mediterranean operational portal only one person landed in Malta compared with 20,535 in Italy, which is three times as many as in the same period in 2022.
Malta is often accused of shirking its responsibilities in rescuing asylum seekers at sea. So far this year, at least 374 people have been recorded missing in the central Mediterranean, according to the Missing Migrants Project. A report compiled by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) on Malta shows that in 2021 the AFM continued to drastically decrease rescues at sea. The report also highlighted the Maltese government’s insistence on denying disembarkation to individuals rescued at sea.
photo Doi
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

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