The absence of any reference to the problem of illegal immigration is conspicuously missing from the ongoing political debates. The three established parties have conveniently swept the whole issue under the carpet as if Malta is not facing one of the major challenges in its post-war history. This is indeed alarming to say the least. This could either mean that the issue is not given the right relevance, or worse that our established parties have resigned into accepting that the fight against this continuous and unsustainable illegal immigration is a lost battle.

The only voice that is raising the issue is that of Azzjoni Nazzjonali. This newly formed party did not only have the courage to highlight the unavoidable consequences but also came up with concrete proposals in case our plight for effective and timely burden sharing continue to fail. It is also to their credit that they have not succumbed to political pressures and personal demonisations, mostly from liberal quarters.

We are now only a few days away from the general election and the electorate has the one and only chance on that fateful day to transfer AN’s voice into parliament. Only from there it can continue to make the difference and effectively watch for our interests in this matter. The extent of this problem, if unchecked, is so overwhelming that it will negatively mark the future of our generations. While both major parties were engaged in almost infantile fights on other important social and economic issues, we cannot allow them room for errors on this one.

Sandro Pace

Santa Venera