Ambrose Muscat, Dubai
'Second-class' Europeans in UAE
Of late I found myself swelling with pride on reading articles in the press, both in The Times of Malta as well as in the Gulf News, one of the leading newspapers in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates and the wider region.
In one such article I read about Emirates Airlines' chief flying instructor for the magnificent Airbus A380, the mammoth aircraft that has recently joined the airline's fleet. The gentleman in question is a fellow Maltese and, like many others, has been on Emirates' books for some time.
Malta is one of Emirates' successful hunting grounds for recruiting such talent, in addition to a considerable number of cabin crew.
In another article I read that the other major UAE airline based in Abu Dhabi, Etihad, has selected Malta-based Megabyte for some vital aspects of its software system. Not surprisingly, Malta is proving quite attractive for investment by firms based in the UAE and the Gulf. Fimbank, International Hotel Investments as well as our main telecom company Go have all attracted foreign investment from this region. And of course Smart City Malta is a major investment by a Dubai company.
One would be forgiven for running away with the idea that, since the UAE and Malta are enjoying such a fruitful business relationship, some benefits might trickle down to the Maltese expatriates living and working in the UAE.
To my dismay I recently became aware of one particular sector where we Maltese seem to have been classified as second- class Europeans by the UAE authorities. It seems that citizens of certain EU countries enjoy a number of privileges - for example, they can avail themselves of a visa on arrival at the airport.
In addition, if they decide to settle here they have the right to simply convert their driving licences from their home country to a UAE licence. The countries in question include the older EU countries but also some new entrants, among them Cyprus. For some reason, the Malta driving licence is not considered at par with that issued by these other countries.
A Maltese citizen is expected to attend no fewer than 20 driving lessons at considerable cost. There are very long waiting lists and the examiners seem to be quite whimsical, as many have reported that they had to take the test many times even though they had been driving for decades.
I have written to our MEP Simon Busuttil on the matter but he too is at a loss. I appeal to our diplomats to take the matter up with the UAE authorities.
Popular Stories
In Discussion
21 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
jportelli
Oct 8th 2008, 21:11
When one reads some of the sensitive responses, one cant help but understand that what is referred to as second class is only relative to how sensitive the individuals in question are.
The antidote is to learn to respect others and accept they are culturally different and then anything one experiences that is not expected does not have to be taken personally.
The Maltese tend to even vote to our once Masters even in the Eurovision song contest. We are not yet grown up. We are eager to please the village headman. Treat your children as you want foreigners to treat them. If you discriminate and prefer foreigners before your own than your are putting your own children as second class.
EU members in the main don't do this. They treat their own citizens equally - Maltese for some reason don't. So the pain caused when we discover that other don't treat foreigners better or that because we do (as in voting always for British etc) an Arab country would treat us as lower caste.
Your choice - but its not our choice to criticize other cause they are not subservient like us.
Fransoaise Fleurant
Oct 6th 2008, 17:06
Attn: Mr. Ambrose Muscat
Yes, Equality among member states is a nice word many peoples may read in EU bundles of use-less documents. BUT, in reality, as far as big and crucial decisions are concerned, each country talks it size. In my view, in both political and financial terms no value added member to EU after 1995, please, please no insult intended at my end.
France, as a member of the G8 is highly qualified to proudly get out of the “….” ….what do you think?
Thank you so much for you concern and offering assistance. As a matter of fact, a legal action was taken against the peoples in charges.
Did I mention that my husband paid any contribution? Please read again my comment slowly.
Many thanks and please excuse my bad English.
D.Galea
Oct 6th 2008, 03:11
And you are surprised at 'second-class' Europeans in Dubai!? Astounding!! We're considered 'second-class' Europeans in MANY other countries believe me & that includes ESPECIALLY European ones!! I've traveled & experienced enough to tell first hand. To the point where I started to refrain from declaring myself Maltese when I need something, as once I do either quality of assistance goes down the drain & I find myself in attempt to get ridiculed (I can tell most of us get duped without knowing it all the time, just mind the sarcasm). I just grew up enough to open my eyes & realize myself.
Ambrose Muscat
Oct 6th 2008, 00:22
F. Fleurant - I do not 'presume' equality, I EXPECT IT BY RIGHT!!! You might want to read the EU accession treaty if you are in doubt. As for your petty comments about your husband making a contribution please provide your husband's full details as he would appear to have broken the laws of our country by indulging in an act of corruption. I will be more than glad to make a police report on your behalf so that justice is done and I assure you that it will be up to your supposedly 'more developed' country's standards
J Portelli
Oct 5th 2008, 23:27
Mdm Fransoise, thank you for reminding us that these things happen in Malta too.
I think all those that made their comments about throwing the first stone, or second class citizen should start eating their words.
The World is not perfect, pretending (because thats all it is) we are all above it and critisise others abroad, we should rememeber our own citizens do the same thing to both our young and those foreign People wishing to join our communities.
You can only be abused for as long as you allow it. LEAVE Dubai, cause 2 centuries have not changed it and neither will our comments. Sorry Lah!
Joseph Portelli
Oct 5th 2008, 23:15
Like many an economic immigrant in Dubai and other countries that lack the competent human resources, one can't expect to be treated as an equal let alone a Lord. Yes, a Lord. This is how a visitor who is spending money in the economy is to be treated, no visa either.
If you work abroad, make sure you have something to show for it. Globalisation is with regards workers in other peoples countries and not a Globalalised culture.
You choose to work in Finland, you can't blame the EU for the short daylight in winter. Like wise working in most developing countries (dont even know where Malta is) one cannot expect to be treated anything but an economic immigrant and down the line at that. Se la vie.
I wont blame the UAE or anyone else expect us who make that choice to leave our cosy little protected world we are brought up in, and then expect we are somone special in developing countries.
Save your money so when they train their own you will be ready to move on (unless they read your comments and again they would see this as a complain / reputation attack.
Fransoaise Fleurant
Oct 5th 2008, 21:48
@ j portelli
This exactly what my husband had pass through in Malta few years ago. I guess ‘contribution’ is a common language among less developed countries.
@ Ambrose Muscat, Dubai
Why Mr. Muscat presume EU membership as a default for equality?
j portelli
Oct 5th 2008, 20:29
Mr Ambrose Muscat ; your point couldn't be better made, however like the issue you raised with Jim, about heading back home, perhaps you should take your own advice and leave UAE.
It is the UAE that treats you and Maltese as Second class and not the EU countries. Have you lost the plot or what? First you raise the point appropriately and then want to pull out of EU , perhaps expecting UAE to treat us as we deserve , the you'll be happy. Its like a poor man asking for everyone to become poor rather than lift him up to be rich.
To Jim Towers, brits are the worst drivers in left hand drive cars for obvious reason, its not their fault. Maltese drivers (like me) we ain't far behind and most have no highway experience either so .
In my experience, they make people have a retest in many countries and normally the examiners or authority can quickly approve an existing licence if some small contribution is offered. Nothing new in such cultures.
Ambrose Muscat
Oct 5th 2008, 19:58
Jim, I do not know what your connection to our beloved island is but you found the time to comment on a letter that concerns its citizens and have taken the opportunity to denigrate us. I am assuming you are originally from the Anglo Saxon world so I wonder if it is not time for you to head home if you find us to be so cavalier in our attitudes towards preserving our own life and that of others on our roads. I have seen so many foreigners driving appallingly in both Malta and the UAE that I just cannot accept your criticism.
I am perfectly confident in my driving skills and will not hesitate to take the UAE test. In the meantime I am forced to recruit a driver (presumably from the sub-continent) whose skills will more likely than not be inferior to mine.
We are not inferior to any EU country and we should be treated at a par, if anyone thinks otherwise than we should simply not have bothered joining.
M. Mercieca
Oct 5th 2008, 19:52
Liberty, secularism, whatever its called. If we are careless about our Christianity and values, and still we are happy with the disastrous development in own societies we are: either idiots or ignorant. In case we are any of the latter we must not presume other cultures with different confessions are the same, if we do this mean we are arrogant.
j portelli
Oct 5th 2008, 19:08
If the system is geared up to Kill a Royal princess because she had a boyfriend, why is it surprising to find the system treats Maltese as second citizens.
The US does not use Capital punishment because Mrs Palins daughter has a son out of wedlock. When mixing Cultures, Malta is attuned to Italian or British and not ready for UAE.
After 24 years saving his money a Pakistani ground keeper at the Royal residence was to retire and repatriate. He exceeded his visa by 4 days (in UAE) and they find him $1500. His total savings wher $1750. (it may be realive - so to him is his retirement fund).
Its the system I am critizing as the individuals cant be blamed. Its a culture that works for them but not for us so dont be surprised...........
Edward Bonnici
Oct 5th 2008, 18:28
@ j portelli
‘But then they have capital punishment for their Royal Princess just because she had a boyfriend - what do you really expect.’
The capital punishment exists in many places of the world including the USA. ..Imma what I can’t understand, what that got to do with the content of the above letter?
Steven Grech
Oct 5th 2008, 16:35
@ J Towers
I've never been there but i guess you can add the UAE to the "danger" list!
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/03/19/uae-death-and-destruction-in-200-car-crash/
David Galea
Oct 5th 2008, 16:31
I do agree with Mr Muscat about the visa issue in UAE and I thought that with the SmartCity project, the visa rules will change for us. We've joined the EU, but 4 years on, we still enjoy the benefits of 2nd class EU citizens in some areas. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told me that it may change within the next 6-12 months. Not sure how reliable the info is.
Anyone who has been in Dubai for more than 1 day and has 'enjoyed' a taxi ride driven by any of the locals or more likely from the Indian sub continent, would know that Maltese driving skills are no worse.
As for the air hostesses working with Emirates .... Cheap labour! Come On, you don't know what cheap labour is. Go to any construction site in Dubai and you will see what cheap labour is. But then again, these people moved here in search of a better life / working conditions. Btw I don't work for Emirates. And we don't have cheap labour in Malta?
Paul Galea
Oct 5th 2008, 16:26
It seems the bad news about the unsafe and fatal accidents on our roads traveled very fast to reach the Gulf region.
I believe the only reason a license for anything exists is so it can be denied.
Wish, we too, in Malta we follow restriction on issuing and revising driving licenses. It’s nice and more safe if countries double check and revise diving license every now ad then.
When it comes to roads safety and observing hosting country regulations, I think, our sensitivity or our feeling as being ‘discriminated’ should not be of ‘great’ concern.
I had a foreign friend of mine worked in Malta for almost 20 year. My friend could not have his car road license renewed before paying all the taxes, NI and renewing his working permit. And yes, the latter used to take up to 10 months to be renewed for one year. What Mr. Muscat think of waiting 10 months to get a work permit renewed for 12 months, while of course in the mean time you can’t drive your car?
jim towers
Oct 5th 2008, 15:26
@ Steven Grech
And driving in the UAE ?
j portelli
Oct 5th 2008, 12:46
You have stated the case where UAE recruit many Maltese, in the end they treat them us second and third class citizens. Enough said and it embarrassing to see our beautiful young ladies (under peer pressure) to work as Glorified waiters on UAE airlines and treated like cheap desperate labour.
That UAE. If we look at say Singapore Airlines, then it wouls be a step up. Singapore Airlines have been No 1 for 10 years, not because they have cheap oil and undercut others, not because they hire cheap labour but because they provide service with a SMILE - something Emerates cannot get their staff to do as they have layers of classes and unhappy young people. They use Malta's presence within the EU for their investments and use the Maltese as their servants and not equals. But then they have capital punishment for their Royal Princess just because she had a boyfriend - what do you really expect.
Steven Grech
Oct 5th 2008, 12:18
@ Jim Towers
I can assure you, driving in Paris or the South of France, Italy, Greece, Spain and certain areas of Great Britain is far worse then driving in Malta. The Maltese have to put up with a shabby road infrastructure (potholes, no signs, no lines, poorly planned roads, blind corners etc etc).
I think Maltese drivers do what they can with what they've been given.
Salvino Mifsud Bonnici
Oct 5th 2008, 12:11
Mr. Muscat must be joking! I have been embarassed so many times to carry the same Maltese number plate while driving overland watching Maltese drivers breaking the most basic and elementary traffic rules, like driving on the outer lane! It does not follow that just because a Maltese driver has been driving for decades s/he is a good driver - by our standards perhaps but certainly not by the high requirements of the UAE!
A Micallef
Oct 5th 2008, 11:56
VIsa requirements are usually tit for tat. Last time I checked UAE citizens needed a visa to visit Malta. I am not supriseed that the Maltese license is not respected in Dubai. The old test was a joke and the requirements to be a driving instructor ludicrous. I would imagine most Maltese would fail a rigorous test no matter how long they have been ''driving''. Most drivers here, tackle driving with the same degree of care as a ride on the dodgem cars.
jim towers
Oct 5th 2008, 11:04
I agree absolutely with the UAE restrictions on Maltese driving licences.
Obviously the authorities that be have been to Malta !