In a few weeks' time, Malta will hold the rotating Presidency of the European Union. The most important event during this presidency will be the formal announcement of the UK's intention to leave under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. This will be Prime Minister Muscat's 15 minutes of fame and he does not want to let anything disrupt that, which is why he has joined the most cynical leaders in the union to play a high-stakes poker game, using the lives of millions of families as bargaining chips.

In the UK referendum debate on whether to stay or leave the European Union, there were substantial and heated discussions on the merits of internal EU-migration. But no serious campaign group or party questioned the rights of those Europeans that had already there. Even the UK Independence Party expressed the view that nationals from other countries already resident in the UK should be allowed to remain. 

Nevertheless, it has already become clear that if nothing is done, those two years of exit negotiations will be period of uncertainty for those EU citizens who have chosen to live and work in the UK, as well as the British citizens that live in EU countries, as they do in Mata. These citizens have used the right of freedom of movement to settle in another country. But now their right to remain is being called into question. Many of them are harbouring doubts about what rights they will have in their country of choice in two years' time.

The uncertainty caused by the negotiations will make it impossible for millions of families to answer the simplest questions of life and plan for the future. This has a real impact on life decisions and is sure to cause no small amount of anxiety.  Should parents educate their children in the new country or send them back to their country of origin? Should the retired couple buy the house in the countryside they always wanted to live in or continue to rent? Should the young man or woman embark on a new a career or look for work away from or at home? Should the small business owner invest in his or her business or sell it?

The UK government has been seeking an informal agreement to guarantee the residency rights of the 3.3 million EU citizens living in Britain and the 1.2 million British citizens living in the other 27 EU countries. The UK governments had hoped to ease the fears of the affected individuals and families by settling this issue at the next EU Council meeting on 15th and 16th December.  However, key EU leaders such as President of the European Council Donald Tusk, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Commission's chief negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier have refused to engage in any discussion until Britain formally announces its intention to leave.  Donald Tusk even went so far as to refuse a request to put the question on the agenda for a simple discussion.

Tusk, Merkel and Barnier are playing politics with the lives of 4.5 million EU citizens. They are playing this game because they think it will give the union a better negotiating position and will put pressure on the British government on other issues such as trade. But by refusing to do a deal on the right to remain for EU citizens outside the Article 50 negotiations, the EU leaders are essentially using the Britons living on the continent and the EU citizens in the UK as pawns to be negotiated for other gains; in effect punishing totally innocent people because Britain has dared and refused to be assimilated into the failed federalist dream. The new UK Prime Minister Theresa May has taken the view that EU nationals in Britain will only be assured of their right of residency if the EU reciprocated. A fair position, in my book.

The plans Prime Minister Muscat has announced for the Maltese EU presidency aren't modest. The ultimate aim for Malta's presidency is to "give a sense of direction" on immigration, digital economy, security in Europe, maritime affairs, free trade and social inclusion. Yet on the most important issue on the Prime Minister's list - immigration - is he doing anything to help EU citizens, particularly the Maltese, in the UK?

What Prime Minister Muscat could and should have done immediately was to announce the intention of using the Maltese presidency to "give a sense of direction" to European and Maltese citizens currently living in the United Kingdom and the British citizens residing in the EU. Muscat could use his temporary clout to side with the UK on this issue and defend the rights of these citizens to live their lives without political interference and uncertainty. But that would require courage he does not possess. Taking a stand in favour of the people on this issue would have brought the Prime Minister into conflict with the most powerful EU leaders. And they would without a doubt have punished him by not posing with him for fancy photo-ops in the capitals of Europe, or even worse, might even criticize him publicly. No, better for Muscat to stay quiet and disregard his primary responsibility to ensure legal certainty to the more than 20.000 Maltese citizens living in the UK and the 12.000 British citizens living in Malta. Alleanza Bidla Party was horrified when we saw him on BBC a few weeks ago blurting his well-prepared message that, "EU leaders are not 'bluffing' when they say the UK will be left with no access to the single market when it leaves the bloc if there is no free movement of people". By towing their line and throwing in his lot with President Tusk, Chancellor Merkel and Commissioner Barnier he is sure that they all will claim that the Maltese presidency was a great success. But it will not be a success for the individuals and families that are treated as helpless pawns in the Brexit negotiations.

It is entirely legitimate to be disappointed with the outcome of the British referendum. But this was a democratic decision for the British people to make. It is important to remember that even post-Brexit the British will remain the most important neighbour and ally of the European Union - and of Malta. Our citizens will continue to live there and Brits will no doubt live and visit the EU countries. For the good of all, there needs to be an agreement to respect the rights of all our citizens to remain where they are. And this should be agreed as quickly as possible.

The absurdity of this all is that we know an arrangement will be reached. The continental countries are not going to expel those young Brits that work in pubs all around Europe, the financiers in Berlin, Stockholm and Rome that oil the wheels of finance or the wealthy British pensioners that have bought property in France and Spain. And no-one in Britain will want to repatriate the nationals of other countries that work on farms up and down the country, that staff the service sector or nurse them back to health in the NHS. 

This therefore is another game by the EU that yet again does not respect the people. A game for "other gains" instead. A game that sacrifices the wellbeing of millions of regular EU (and Maltese) citizens.

It is very dirty EU game and it is time it is stopped.