Nailing the coffin while opening old graves

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION is still the hottest news around and everyone, and their cat, is jumping on the bandwagon. I admire the way the Prime Minister is handling the issue. He is certainly not playing to the gallery, unlike the Leader of the Opposition with his talk about the national interest coming before human rights.

Talk about nailing the coffin down and opening up old graves at the same time. Who would vote for anyone promoting that kind of philosophy?

Human rights don't just apply to illegal immigrants, so what will happen if under a Labour government led by Alfred Sant, a journalist, for example, or anyone really, writes an article at a perceived time of crisis criticising something which the government construes as going against the national interest? Would that writer's human rights be open to being violated using "the national interest" as the reason?

That of course could apply to anyone who would be seen as going against the national interest in the eyes of Dr Sant, and at any time Dr Sant deems the country to be in crisis.

That kind of statement might impress the 'moderate' and radical right wing, but any right (correct) thinking individual would be appalled by the implications of such a statement.

Wasn't that kind of thing used to justify apartheid and the Nazi concentration camps?

In both the perceived race 'superiority' and threat to 'culture', nationality and race, not to mention jobs and housing, was what fuelled and perpetuated the complete disregard of human rights.

Ironically, some even use 'protecting values' as an excuse to justify human rights breaches and abuse.

What makes locals think that that kind of philosophy will not eventually be used on some of their own minority groups?

Now apparently Dr Sant said he was misquoted, but he said that he believed that "in a time of crisis, national interest should prevail over all considerations", which must include human rights, so how was he misquoted?

And what are the considerations which Dr Sant is suggesting should prevail in the national interest? Round up the illegal immigrants and put them back on a boat out to sea, destination unknown? Put them on a plane back to a tyrannical regime or starvation? As far as I know, he has not spelt out what he means by "all considerations", or what should be done, except a change in the Cabinet.

Now three fairly young men have decided to join the fray by launching their own brand of jingoism. On Thursday I found a flyer stuck to my windscreen telling me "Iddefendi pajjizek" (Defend your country). "Moaning won't get us anywhere... the least you can do is take part". John McNulty's words had been heeded after all, I thought, and for a minute I wondered whether the Armed Forces were now calling on women to join them, but reading on I realised that it was a demonstration "against illegal immigration" I was being asked to join.

The logo beneath the call is the same as that of an Italian neo-fascist party, and the wording gives the title "Alleanza Nazzjonali Repubblikana" (ANR) and the motto "faith, country and family". Those wonderful values again!

The flyer invites everyone to take part, regardless of political affiliation and gives one the option to take a Maltese flag along - but says that racist comments will not be tolerated.

The group is also asking for donations to be sent through mobile phones.

On the back of the flyer the group explains why they are against illegal immigration. And what a mishmash of confused thinking that is!

They do not believe in multi-cultural societies, yet they are not racists! If they do not believe in diversity, one shudders to think what they think of our own people who do not conform to their ideals. I also presumed they were Eurosceptics and would have agreed with any country, which might have vetoed our entry into Europe presenting the same argument of diverse cultures. Yet they claim they are Europeans!

They give an inflammatory and completely distorted picture of British and Dutch people having to leave their country because of illegal immigration. The Dutch government and the Maltese government are in fact working on a common programme, whereby the Netherlands will take some of the refugees whom Malta is unable to house.

ANR feed people's fear that immigrants will take their livelihoods and affect their standard of living negatively.

They do, however, make one valid comment, which is that many illegal immigrants end up as strippers, prostitutes and construction workers, i.e. in the exploitative 'slave' market sector.

But surely it is not the strippers and prostitutes that are causing anxiety in the job market! As to the construction industry, that is one area where the government could take action, which would, if developers are correct in saying that Maltese are refusing those jobs, have a negative effect on the economy if it slows down the industry.

On the other hand it could force the developers to pay better wages to construction workers and make those jobs attractive to locals rather than only to desperate people.

But on the whole their message is confused. On the one hand the ANR says that we should help, where we can, the genuine refugees, yet it later complains that those given refugee status get the same privileges as the Maltese, when they have not paid the same amount of taxes.

Well, let me remind the ANR that all Maltese legal immigrants (refugee status legalises immigrants position) who went to Australia, America and the UK enjoyed those same privileges and more without the locals taking to the streets complaining about it.

The group is just as confused on Christian values. They seem to ignore the Christian teaching of giving one's shirt off one's back to help another in need. Yet they claim to be Catholics.

And at the end of the day the solution to the problem, according to ANR, is to join them, support them, give them your money and take to the streets.

If pressure is to be mounted it should be directed at the multi-cultural European Union - and that does seem to be having some effect.

A high-level meeting will be taking place in Rome later this month, chaired by the Italian Foreign Minister, Gianfranco Fini, at Foreign Minister Michael Frendo's request, to discuss how to combat human trafficking.

And a joint draft by Spain, France and Morocco on immigration with the aim of developing a Euro-Mediterranean network of police and legal co-operation on terrorism, drugs and trafficking in human beings together with the gradual implementation of "integrated management of social and safety aspects of migratory flows" will be formally presented at the Euromed November conference.

Austria, Denmark and Germany, among others, have welcomed the draft, stating that the problem of illegal immigration in the Mediterranean area should be of concern to all member states.

Maybe, since Martin Degiorgio, the ANR spokesman, is a travel agent, he can organise a planeload of his supporters to go and present their case in Brussels, but I suggest they also take a European flag with them.

By the way, I eventually got a response from British Immigration Minister, John McNulty, to my request to be more specific about whom the comment "stop complaining and find a solution" was directed at on his one-day visit here last month.

An e-mail on Tuesday informed me that his comments "were directed to non-governmental organisations in the round and not to one specific organisation."

Time for architecture

NOW for something completely different. Architecture happens to be one of my passions, and this week is jampacked with exciting events focusing on it.

I love the poster advertising "Time for Architecture". It conveys the dynamic energy that buildings can produce around us.

The Architects' Chamber, in conjunction with the Society of Architecture and Civil Engineering Students and the Ministry for Tourism and Culture, are presenting a multi-faceted programme involving an exhibition of remarkable work at the Ministry of Tourism, films running through till next Sunday at St James Cavalier where a kids workshop was also held yesterday; a lecture by the director of the RIBA Trust, Charles Knevitt, at the Mediterranean Conference Centre tomorrow (World Architectural Day) and more.

Friday sees the start of a three-day conference organised by the Architecture Project, in collaboration with Heritage Malta, on "The Founding Myths of Architecture" at the Archaeological Museum in Valletta. A full programme is on page 8 and architect Konrad Buhagiar writes about "Grognet's Dream of Atlantis" on page 49.

Architecture reflects the ethos of a society, so it not only incorporates the artistic, creative and engineering side to our buildings, but also tells us something about the community that produces them, and lives in and around them.

phansen@timesofmalta.com