This month marks the 73rd anniversary of the adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a document directly motivated by the atrocities of WWII that set out the rights and freedoms of all human beings. It was also the first global enunciation of human rights and one of the first major achievements of the new United Nations, and it’s for this reason that the UN chose to designate December 10th as Human Rights Day.

Since the inception of UDHR 73 years ago a great deal of achievements have been made in terms of civil rights and racial equality both overseas and in the European Union. The Racial Equality and the Employment Equality Directives at the start of the new millennium is one of them while, more recently, partially motivated by the Black Lives Matter Movement protests last year, the European Parliament implemented the Anti-racism action plan 2020-2025.

Yet even though these legislations have been fundamental in the gaining of civil rights for people of different ethnic backgrounds – especially economic immigrants and refugees – who leave their countries and families either for better job opportunities or because of persecution, racism is still rapidly rising and nowhere is this more evident than in Malta, especially since the increase in the refugee crisis at the start of the new decade.

Now, you could argue that the reason for hostility toward refugees and immigrants is because Malta is way too small to accommodate the demand. But then how do you explain the reactions on news coverage about people of different ethnic backgrounds, such as last summer when three English players of colour were racially abused after missing three vital penalties in the Euros finale? Or the reaction the general public had when footage emerged of a black man being beaten and thrown into the sea in Gozo, merely a week after the Euros incident? All these incidents are cases of racism but the truth is there are many forms of racism which implores me to ask: what is racism?

Truthfully, the answer to that question is rather long and complicated because something I have learned while researching and learning about racism and racial discrimination throughout my life is that like everything in life it’s not all black and white.

Racism isn’t just name calling or physical violence, it’s refusing to allow a sales person or a construction worker inside your home simply because they are of a different ethnic background; it’s employing a refugee off the streets for construction work and barely giving him a day’s worth of pay, that is if you even pay him. So, what can be done to combat racism other than anti-hate crime legislation?

While the allocation program is a great way to lighten the load between the countries, it does absolutely nothing to  help the ones who remain or have been here a long time to integrate and truly start a better life, which is why I believe it is time for the EU and the states to come up with a six-month integration program that helps the immigrants and refugees who arrive in Europe get acquainted with the laws and customs of the country, find jobs according to their skill not cheap hard labour, seek education for children and whomever wishes to further their studies and all other basic human rights and when the six months are up.

Depending on the progress of the individual they will either be allocated to a country of their choice or be granted a citizenship. That way the country will gain more economic growth while keeping its best attribute intact: its golden heart.

Christine Deasey is a participant within the Labour Party’s LEAD Programme.