A Washington D.C. lawyer says DHS “pulled a fast one” while we all celebrated Christmas.
While you were quietly getting ready for Christmas, the Department of Homeland Security pulled a fast one.
On December 22nd, in what could be the most idiotic thing theBush administration has done, DHSapproved Malta as aVisa Waiver Program country.**
Each year, Malta—anarchipelago of seven islands—gets tens of thousandsof people from Africa on rafts. The island is beingoverwhelmed.
These people arrive on Maltese soil, which isEuropean Union territory, and they immediately try to get admitted to the EU.
When the word is out about the Visa Waiver, more boat people will come and try to get legal status in Maltaso they can ultimately get into the U.S. without a visa.
Once here, they will, of course,stay forever.
The decision to allow Malta to participate in the VWP should be looked into before all of its 400,000 residents are in our backyards.
**The Republic of Malta (Maltese: Repubblika ta’ Malta), is a small and densely populated European microstate, comprising an archipelago of seven islands, making it an island nation. Situated in Southern Europe, 58 mi off the coast of Sicily (Italy), it is located in the Mediterranean Sea, giving the country a warm, Mediterranean climate, while a further 179 mi to the island’s west is Tunisia and about 186 miles south is Libya.
Throughout much of its history, Malta has been considered a crucial strategic location due in large part its position in the Mediterranean Sea. It was held by several ancient cultures including Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Sicilians, and others. The island is commonly associated with the Knights Hospitaller who ruled it. This, along with the historic Biblical shipwreck of St. Paul on the island, ingrained the strong Roman Catholic legacy which is still the official and most practiced religion in Malta today.
The country’s official languages are Maltese and English, although there are strong historical ties to the Italian language on the islands. Malta gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964 and is currently a member of the European Union which it joined in 2004, in addition to being part of the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations.
Official Name: Republic of Malta
Capital City Valletta
Latitude/Longitude 35° 50’N, 14° 35’E
Languages Maltese (official), English (official)
Official Currency Maltese Lira
Major Banks in Malta –Bank of Valletta, HSBC, APS
ReligionsCatholic, others
Population 402,000 (2003 est.)
Surface Area 320 sq km (124 sq miles)
Land Mostly low, rocky land with rugged, steep coastal cliffs.