Muscat denies he is capitalising on people's immigration fears

Joseph Muscat has denied that his Labour Party is capitalising on people's immigration fears as he prepares to put forward a series of proposals to Parliament tomorrow in a bid to tackle the problem.

The PL's proposals will not be extreme like Azzjoni Nazzjonali's, but will push the boundaries of diplomacy, according to Dr Muscat.

"Our job is to be tough on politicians, not immigrants - but we can't turn a blind eye to the problem," he told The Sunday Times.

Over 600 immigrants landed in Malta in the first two months of the year, an unprecedented number for the winter season, fuelling further xenophobia and racism. The government insists that it is doing its utmost to tackle the issue at EU level and blames limited resources and sheer numbers for the poor immigrant conditions.

Asked whether he felt the opposition should be four square with the government on the immigration crisis, Dr Muscat said: "I think we should be four square with the people."

But the Labour leader rebutted claims that the PL was capitalising on public fears and misconceptions.

"We are reflecting people's concerns. I don't believe we're being populist. If that was the case we'd say we should not rescue them. And we're not saying that," he said.

Labour's proposals were drawn up following meetings held with NGOs, mayors, the police and the army.

The Labour leader kept his cards close to his chest and several questions asking him to outline his proposals were met with "I'll answer that on Monday".

"We're not excluding anything. We don't have a magic wand but we have an innovative package."

Dr Muscat pointed to serious shortcomings in the local management system - he said the island cannot stop illegal immigration, but it has to seriously manage it and ensure it has its fair share.

He would not say if Malta should postpone its international obligations, such as providing rights for asylum seekers and refugees.

"The government forged ahead with signing the immigration pact last October when we shouldn't. We lost a golden opportunity to raise the issue and apply more pressure. Since we consented to this pact we put the EU states' conscience at rest for a couple of years."

The Labour Party could suggest that Malta uses its veto to put pressure on EU member states to provide assistance, but political observers warned of the political repercussions of using such a tool.

Furthermore, once it comes into effect, the Lisbon Treaty will effectively eliminate the right to veto in the area of Justice and Home Affairs, which covers issues such as immigration.

Despite the general lack of sympathy for the immigrants' cause, especially black people, Dr Muscat maintained that the Maltese were not racist.

"It's an issue of illegality, and people are very angry. Africans are more noticeable, of course, and it angers people. I believe any person staying here illegally, whether African or otherwise, should be made to leave. I don't look at it from a skin colour point of view."

So why is the issue solely being directed at the boat people from Africa, when hundreds of white non-EU eastern Europeans have taken up residence in Malta?

"It's the way they come which bothers many people. It's too in- your-face. At this point in time, the main crisis concerns the boat people from Africa," he said.

Does he acknowledge that immigrants from certain troubled areas have a right to request asylum and the only way of doing this is by entering countries illegally?

"I will answer this on Monday," was his reply.

He denied that the PL proposals would create further antagonism towards immigrants - the party's only intention, he said, was to alleviate the burden on Malta.

He would not comment on whether the PL would suggest that the army should refuel the immigrants' boats and direct them towards Italy, but said that the action plan should attract the attention of the international community.

Although Malta has a history of successful integration, the current numbers are unsustainable, according to Dr Muscat.

"You cannot impose integration - what we're giving is nothing more than fake solidarity. Besides, the government clearly speaks out against integration," he claimed.

Nevertheless, he insisted that the PL would respect human dignity and extreme measures against the immigrants were not on the cards.

"We're not going to heed the extremist comments that we should let immigrants drown or shoot them, as some people would like to do... The AN's proposals are not similar to ours - we are not making anybody do forced labour. This is not about segregation," he said.

In a recent set of proposals, Azzjoni Nazzjonali suggested that immigrants being kept in detention centres should be forced to work for their food and lodging.