The hatred spewed in this country the moment ‘migration’ comes on the agenda is unbelievable

It is no longer, in my opinion, a question of fear but outright abhorrence and odium.  Just look at the way people have dealt with the news that three people who have been on a tanker for more than 30 long days, unable to communicate with their relatives, out of sheer desperation jumped from aboard a tanker.  If I was in those same circumstances, nervousness would have kicked in way before that!  You wouldn’t want to be sitting on a Cruise Liner for 30 days if it is imposed on you.  

But this hatred doesn’t surprise me. 

So many of our community leaders either speak faultily about this matter or not at all.

We have politicians, like the defunct current Leader of the Opposition, who speaks about ghettos to try and draw the sympathy-vote to his ailing campaign.  We have, on the other hand, a Prime Minister and Leader of the left-wing party who claims that these 27 souls, made of blood and flesh, stranded on a ship just outside of our territorial waters is not an issue that concerns us directly. He insists that a little flag that says ‘Denmark’ is enough for the Maltese authorities to look the other way. It is a fact that Denmark, the EU, Libya are behaving hideously on this matter and no-one seems to want to take any responsibility, granted, but we can be bigger than that.

So, there you go, the fuel and the igniter are all set for those devotes who are seen taking selfies with their patron saints in one instance and vomit repulsion towards people in need, the next! These are probably the same people who would have the ‘incidental’ photograph taken as they walk towards the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima in Portugal on their Facebook page as they recite the Rosary!

Contrariness at its best.

These Maltese and Gozitans choose to ignore the fact that ‘is-suwed’ are being relocated in good numbers (kudos to the Government) once they are saved in Malta, whilst others are busy providing us a service, whether it is giving you fuel at the petrol station; digging up your garden; collecting your waste or cooking your meat in restaurants. All of a sudden, Dr Abela who insists he is the Prime Minister of the Gozitans and the Maltese, only says that they are surplus to our generosity and solidarity. So we are happy to send some dosh to Lebanon (why not) and then find it hard to rescue 27 people who probably ran away from death and anguish. This doesn’t seem to be a good enough reason, so off we go playing politics and arm wrestle with the EU.    

We need to say it to ourselves. 

We have evolved into a racist country – and it was long coming. Our political class is conveniently ingesting on this vote catcher issue.  We talk about ghettos when what we have so far are over-populated communities, disorganized because there is no integration policy, low cost housing and an army of abusive employers (Maltese and Gozitan ones mostly) – all issues that require political commitment to be remedied. 

I am pleased that the Government has dedicated a Parliamentary Secretariat for Citizenship and Communities and is trying to address this matter through empirical research and community actions.  We need to be speedier. We also need to say it as it is. The Nationalist Party has never been inclined to the ‘right’ as it is today. The same can be said of the Labor Party with right leaning policies and with their core supporters amongst the most prejudiced towards migrants. 

What we need is leadership within all of our institutions that can take us back to what this Country was always renowned for; welcoming the feeble, frail and fragile.

There always remains hope, but it is fading away.

Prof. Andrew Azzopardi

Dean, Faculty for Social Wellbeing,

&

Broadcaster