When a Maltese Prime Minister (or opposition leader for that matter) goes off to far away lands such as Australia, Canada and the United States a point is always made of visiting Maltese emigrant communities, and this is important.

We have seen from the latest visit by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi that the Maltese communities abroad are still full of love and passion for their mother islands, and what a joy it is for both them and us to read about such visits.

The Maltese abroad, just like many other nationalities, always seem to do well for themselves and of course they do – many of them had the guts and determination to leave an economically depressed island for brighter, yet far off, shores.

Yet it is amazing. We hear of Maltese club houses, language centres, purpose-built homes for the elderly. When one follows a Maltese Prime Minister on a visit to a Klabb Malti – whether it is in New York, Sydney, London, Detroit or anywhere else in the world, it is like walking into a Kazin in Qrendi.

They serve pastizzi, hobz biz-zejt and even good old Cisk. In fact, were you to look at the way they dress, or the inside of their homes, you would have to say that they are more Maltese than we are today.

When you tell people the stories that Malta has had to tell since the time they left between the 1940s and the 1960s, they simply look at you in disbelief. Their eyes give it all away when you tell them that Valletta has been restored, that we have roads, as big a choice as any in electronics – they simply cannot believe what you are telling them. They also cannot believe it when you tell them that while Malta has progressed in so many areas, it is going the same way as the rest of the world in terms of regression in marriage success rates, drug abuse and its crime spin offs and – at the end of the day – family values.

Perhaps we should take a leaf out of the books of these people. They meet up regularly for traditional Maltese meals, they speak in Maltese, they teach the Maltese language to their children and they basically keep their heritage alive.

They are full of love and have all the time in the world for Maltese visitors, whether they are high-ranking politicians, or journalists or anyone for that matter. They simply yearn for contact with genuine Maltese home nationals. In essence, what we are saying is that these people, like the television programme suggests and permit the Maltese phrase, Baqghu Maltin (they remained Maltese).

While bilateral visits are supremely important in the diplomacy, economic and foreign policy areas – we would hope that the government continues with this trend of commemorating Maltese emigrants, as has been suggested by the commissioning of a monument at Grand Harbour. But far more important is keeping in contact with these brave people who are dotted around the world. Ironically, perhaps, we can offer them something priceless now – Maltese citizenship for themselves and their families. Being Maltese means a passport to Europe and that is truly something priceless. It is clear that these people want to cling on to their heritage and the government should be credited with offering them the chance to do so.