The police raids in Marsa will not solve the problems the area is facing as it merely creates a negative impression instead of examining and tackling the root cause of the issue, Ahmed Bugri from The Foundation for Shelter and Support to Migrants (FSM) has told The Malta Independent.

In recent weeks, media reports have surfaced on the growing unrest among migrants in Marsa following a number of police raids carried out in the area, with the president of the Police Officer’s Union uploading videos of certain migrants causing havoc and other residents complaining about public urination.

Expanding on his position, Bugri said the current issues in Marsa are the result of the failure to implement a substantial integration policy when the influx of migrants in the area began ten to fifteen years ago.

“When we were working at the Marsa Open Centre we used to tell the police and authorities that allowing all these young people to concentrate in one place without any proper integration system will eventually turn Marsa into a ghetto.

“Do we have an integration policy? Do we have a proper action plan for the integration of migrants and refugees? The answer still to this day is no.”

“Socially deprived people try their best to survive, and unfortunately some try to survive through criminality.”

“The government could not expect to put all these people in Marsa, forget about them, and expect everything to fine.”

He was quick to express his solidarity with the local community. “I sympathise greatly with the people of Marsa. They are the ones selling their homes and leaving their town. This should not be their problem; the problem is that an open centre was set up without a support network. ”

Turning to the police raids, Bugri said that the increase in police raids in the area was giving the public the negative impression that the situation is now getting out of hand, rather than projecting the real situation.

“The question I would ask is ‘why are these raids happening now?’ This is a longstanding issue – even when there were more people in the area than now. This show of force is publicity that will inform public opinion.”

“There are people with poor mental health, there are those who are homeless, and there are others who are unemployed. We all know that is has become a socially deprived area and, unfortunately, there is a tendency for criminality to fester. These raids do not allow people to recognise this reality.”

“It is not in the interest of anyone for criminality to fester in a particular place.”

Bugri said that the police were not properly informing the public as to why they had begun raiding areas in Marsa.

“Is it about drugs? Is it about prostitution? Is it about proper identification documents? This is the question.”

“There is lawlessness in Paceville, the same thing in Buġibba; even in Swieqi, residents are constantly complaining, but are there raids? No.”

“Some of the police raids happen just to ask people for their ID cards. That is clearly racial profiling, a police officer cannot just go and stop someone because he is black or looks African.”

He insisted that FSM completely agree that police officers should keep an eye on the area through patrolling, the gathering of intelligence, and plainclothes officers rather than raids.

“It is doable since it is such a small area. Raiding is simply not the solution; it is just pushing the problem go underground.”

“These people are socially deprived. When you concentrate a group of socially deprived individuals who are excluded from the mainstream of society, of course they will get up to no good.”

“Raiding the place solves nothing. All it does is create the impression that Marsa has become what it is because of migrants, which is not necessarily the case, as the area has always had difficulties, but these problems have become even worse with the influx of vulnerable African groups.”

Asked about what solutions he could offer, Bugri suggested that increased police surveillance would help, but insisted that social element is vital to understand the root cause of the problem.

“These people are not naturally criminals. We know that Marsa is infested with marijuana and synthetic drugs; everyone knows that, because young people have no jobs, they have mental issues.

Bugri raised concerns that the raids will only push Marsa residents to continue calling for the closure of the open centre, which will only result in the transfer of the community to Ħal Far.

“Ħal Far will just become the same if not worse.”

“Of course integration is not enough, we need to create better education and dialogue between the local population and the migrant community.”

As an example, Bugri explained that the public may not be aware that while there are certainly negative aspects to the influx of migrants and refugees in the area, the increase in population has brought substantial economic benefit to the area.

“There was a time when all the shops in Marsa were closing, but now they are active and full of clients.”