Realism, not racism

Ms Lara Calleja wrote about the illegal immigrants problem (The Sunday Times, June 11). But, it seems to her this is no problem at all. She asks: "Have these people taken our best jobs? Are we poorer because of them? Has our life changed?" No, Ms Calleja claims!

I beg to differ. The illegal immigrants (be they black, brown, white or yellow, coming from any country), have certainly not taken our best jobs. But they are taking the jobs which otherwise Maltese unemployed may have taken.

The reasons why illegal immigrants are being preferred to Maltese workers is so very obvious - they are being paid a much lower wage than Maltese workers. This is the real racism that exists!

"Are we poorer because of this?" your correspondent asked. And again, she replied an emphatic "No" to her own question. Well then, why is the government complaining so much to the EU about the unsustainable financial burden which illegal immigration is causing us? Also, aren't those workers whose potential jobs have been taken by illegal immigrants, not "poorer" because of this?

Has our life changed? "No", was Ms Calleja's answer. I am sure that for her and those who argue like her, their good lives may not have changed. They may have jobs or live in places illegal immigrants will never have access to. But ask, for example, members of the Armed Forces and the police, whether their lives have changed or not because of this problem!

Why did your correspondent take to task the ANR for holding a peaceful rally in Valletta about this serious problem?

Although I am not a member of ANR but of CNI, I do know that a large majority of the Maltese are indeed worried about illegal immigration and its future effects on our country and people.

If only more people, like those of ANR and CNI, were ready to stand up and be counted, instead of just moaning about this problem, to defend Malta's national identity and security, and defend the Maltese workers' right to find employment in their own country, without having to compete for their job with illegal immigrants who are ready to accept a much lower wage and conditions of employment, Malta and the Maltese would be in a much better position to solve this problem.

I ask Ms Calleja: Would you be ready to open your own door to illegal immigrants who ask you to offer them shelter, to feed and clothe them and look after all their needs for as long as they want to stay? Or would you tell them that you neither have the space nor the resources to accept their request, although you would be willing to give them food, clothing and some other needs and send them elsewhere?

The problem of illegal immigration is not one of racism - except for people like Norman Lowell and his Imperium Europa group. It is one of realism. In my view, ANR, like CNI, is upholding this position. They are certainly not "xenophobic". They are just putting Malta's interest first!

I remind Ms Calleja about a public opinion survey, carried out by Professor Mario Vassallo for The Sunday Times (August 14, 2005). It showed that "97 per cent were not prepared to give anyone the right to settle in Malta"! Let alone settle and work here!

Are all these people "racists"? It seems that both ANR and CNI are not alone on this issue!