Scientists around the world are working round the clock to find a vaccine for the dreaded Coronavirus. It is a pity that no one is working on a cure for racism, because we need it desperately in Malta.

While the Covid-19 pandemic has brought communities closer and has helped us redefine our values and priorities, it has also, unfortunately, brought racism back to the fore.

The latest round of vile online speech has been directed at Xarabank presenter Peppi Azzopardi, whose family has joined others in offering to house migrants who are currently stranded in Maltese waters.

Now, we have not always agreed with Azzopardi’s sometimes radical proposals, and the offer to take in rescued migrants might not be as straightforward as he makes it out to be. For a start, people who give shelter to rescued migrants will need to submit themselves to a two-week quarantine period.

But this is beside the point. The issue here is that a person who has offered to open up his own home to house people rescued at sea has been insulted in every way imaginable. The comments posted beneath his Facebook post are simply appalling … they are not only racist in nature but also deeply offensive to Peppi and his family. Many people, it seems, are still unaware that hate speech is a crime. Perhaps some are aware of this fact but still spew out the vitriol without a care in the world.

A few days back, Archbishop Charles Scicluna received similar treatment when he called on the government to save the migrants who are stranded in our waters, in desperate need of water, food and medical supplies.

The Nationalist Party was also targeted for urging the government to at least save the most vulnerable among those stranded off our shores – children and pregnant women.

Up until yesterday, no state entity or government politician had condemned these racist attacks, just like they did not condemn the ignorant Facebook posts by FSWS CEO Alfred Grixti and Labour TV personality Manuel Micallef.

It is true that Malta currently finds itself in a difficult position – people will die out at sea if nothing is done but, at the same time, most of our resources are being used to contain the spread of the Coronavirus.

Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo’s speech on Monday tried to strike a balance between the need for Europe to show solidarity with people in distress and finding a solution, at least a temporary one, for migrants to be discouraged from travelling to a Europe that has shut its borders, thus risking their lives unnecessarily.

Perhaps giving millions of euro to Libya, a failed state ravaged by war, is not the best of ideas, but Europe could help through other means, such as by providing shelter, medical equipment and aid to the migrants living on its shores. It could send personnel there to ensure that these people are given at least the basic necessities, and that they are not being abused.

As for us common people, the only thing we can do is to live up to the values the Maltese nation has always been known for. While everyone has a right to disagree with the NGOs, or with Peppi, the Archbishop or Adrian Delia, no one should stoop so low and turn their backs on other human beings, and to spew hate on those among us who are trying to something to help those poor souls trapped between sea and sky.