A European Network Against Racism report has found that racial discrimination has continued to be prevalent in Malta, stating categorically that: “In different ways and to varying degrees, the lives of ethnic minorities in Malta were affected by prejudice and disadvantage.”

The first thing that must be said about this statement, is that if we all put hand on heart, we would have to admit that it is true. This does not mean that things have not changed, somewhat. And it also does not mean that being Maltese, makes you a racist by default.

In fact, the same report also says that racism is prevalent across Europe, saying that those who are most affected include people of African descent, black Europeans, migrants (both EU and third country nationals), Muslims, Roma and Jews.

In Malta, the category of people most vulnerable remained African migrants, particularly those arriving from Libya to seek asylum in Malta. The report also finds that Muslims also experience discrimination and prejudice.

The areas where these people are found to be discriminated against include employment, harassment, renting of property, access to bars and places of entertainment and also, at times, transport. On a positive note, it was found that non-members of ethnic minority communities are standing up for the rights of those being discriminated against.

This publishing house believes that it has always done its utmost to push the issues which come to our attention in relation to promoting tolerance and equality. But it seems that this and other mediums have also got it wrong on occasion as while the report found that the media took up cases of discrimination and gave them prominence, it continued to use terminology and headlines which could be termed inappropriate.

The report does not gloss over anything. It is a frank assessment of how things are in Malta and in Europe. While we may take heart from the couple of positives which were highlighted in the report, we must also acknowledge the many negatives. Racism is a terrible thing. It is also not a simple thing. The continent is racist towards outsiders, followers of different religions and those of different skin colour. But Europeans are also racist towards each other.

At least, matters have improved. There were times on these islands of ours where people would not even speak to Africans; they were almost afraid of going anywhere near them. It is much similar to the situation in 1960’s UK when hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans were moved to the UK to make up for labour shortages. It caused great friction between them and the established local communities. To this day, Britons born into Jamaican heritage, continue to be shunned by the ‘local’ communities.

We do believe that matters here have improved greatly over the past decade – in particular the last few years. Perhaps this is because Maltese people have grown to accept that whatever colour these people are, they are exactly that – people. They are people with rights, emotions, hopes, aspirations and potential. But then, only yesterday, an African man died in hospital after being assaulted in St Julian’s over the weekend. We have a lot further to go yet.