Immigrants and the melting pot
Boat people and other immigrants barely featured in the weekend press. The newspapers were dominated by efforts to analyse the way Richard Cachia Caruana was brought down from his important role of Malta’s representative in the EU, and by the role and views of the man who pulled the political trigger, Nationalist MP Jesmond Pullicino Orlando.
Those stories elicited little that was new, other than that the MP is seeing his party in old Communist terms, polititburo and all.
Nor do immigrants seem to be high among respondents’ concerns, according to a survey carried out by MaltaToday. I find that surprising. Immigrants represent an issue which will not go away and that has to be tackled more meaningfully than has happened so far.
The calm seas of summer are bringing along more waves of boat people rescued in Malta’s territorial area. They are a reminder of various aspects of the situation.
One is that, in relatively large or small numbers, they will continue to arrive in Malta, even though in all probability their preferred destination is mainland Europe.
Another is that at least a number of the new arrivals will remain in Malta for an unidentifiable length of time, despite the policy to try to send them back to North Africa as soon as feasibly possible.
In the meanwhile, Malta continues to be criticised because it places boat people in detention for a period. Criticism of the conditions prevalent in detention quarters may be justified.
Yet detention has to take place for health reasons, if for no other. What is important is that, in detention or otherwise, boat people should be treated humanely. That applies also to the wider picture, which says that boat people who have remained in Malta now run into hundreds, even thousands.
That reality calls for action beyond that required on a humane basis, for a further aspect of the boat people issue is that Malta will continue to find little help from the rest of the EU to take meaningful numbers of boat people to relocate them in other countries.
The further reality is that a strong and growing kernel of boat people are here to stay. That reality has cultural implications that need to be faced.
More has to be done to help these unintended immigrants to integrate into our society, through proper education for the children among them and reasonable education grounding for adults.
Adults should also be helped to find work, because they are mostly black, they are becoming quite visible among the labour force, doing menial work in line with the unattractive standard model of immigration elsewhere. The authorities should do more to ensure that such employment is of the regular type, and not provided by employers out for a cheap bargain.
In this regard it has been reported that immigrants do not respond enough to official initiatives, preferring to work in the shadow economy. That must be stopped through stricter oversight on employers in the first instance.
The immigrants issue should also be seen in a wider context than that of boat people who, by force of circumstance, stay on in Malta.
Boat people are recognised because every rescue and landing is reported, because the areas where they are kept teem with them, and in particular because of the colour of their skin.
It is also a fact, however, that there is a rising cohort of white immigrant workers, coming mostly from former Communist-run countries. They come to Malta as a matter of choice, and stay or leave depending on their personal circumstances. They add to the cultural issue that is unfolding.
Again, proper enforcement of labour laws to ensure they are not exploited is required.
Beyond all that, there has to be broad recognition that Malta is changing. Immigrants may have different customs and values.
These have to be recognised by the Maltese community and dealt with in official and personal terms if proper assimilation is to take place.
Through the years from time immemorial Malta has been a cultural melting pot. We are at another stage where the pot is being significantly added to.
Years down the line the immigrant community, already sizeable, will be bigger. The social, cultural and economic implications should be anticipated and prepared for now.
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Joseph Ellul
Jun 27th 2012, 09:53
Australia had to send the navy to save hundreds of illigal immigrants that where on a boat still in deep Indonesian waters. The Indonesians did stuff all whilst Australia has spent millions on just this sunk boat and the survivors.
Today, the Australian Navy had to go again deep into Indonesian waters to save another 130 illigal immigrants from drowning. I do suspect that, as only one actually died, the boat was overturned on purpose.
These illigals are taking the place of those who are waiting overseas, those who already have been processed. A 737 airplane was used to transfer 1 injured immigrant across Australia at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars. Meanwhile Australians get carbon taxed and loose public housing entitlement just because the Fed Gov. gives these lodgings to illigal immigrants who have been given a protection visa. These protection visas are like a credit card that gives special entitlements and benefits that in total exceed any payments that Australian pensioners recieve.
Emma Xerri
Jun 26th 2012, 03:46
The Melting Pot is passé.
The new mantra is "Multiculturalism" were each and every culture is equally good and equally valid and in theory we should all be able to live together in perfect harmony. Never mind that this has been disproved hundreds of times in history even amongst people of the same backgrounds and ethnicities. It seems that the real purpose the Multiculturalism serves is hidden but it must be very important otherwise it would not have been made national policy by most of the West from the Canada (and now even in the US) to Malta to Norway and Latvia, and just about every country that was ethnically White and culturally Christian that you care to find.
matthew tanti
Jun 26th 2012, 23:17
perhaps you can enlighten us on this purpose...
Emma Xerri
Jun 27th 2012, 22:47
Matthew, if I knew for certain I would tell you but at this point it is only conjecture. That there is a gross benefit to someone in power there can be no doubt. Things do not happen by chance especially when you have every nation implimenting the same policies. Africa and poor people were always with us, put countries protected their borders and it has been so from time immemorial and in facat most wars were fought over land, until the 1970's that is when 'multiculturalism' was rolled out by governments without the prior approval of the people they governed. By the way, It is only human nature to protect your land, for yourself and your descendants.
Jessica Smith
Jun 25th 2012, 23:40
The only way to deal with the situation is to send them all back to their own countries and not allow one single illegal immigrant to remain here. Sometimes one has to be harsh to save himself and his country.
Tony Borg
Jun 26th 2012, 08:45
YOu are right Jessica !! That is the way forward but the Do Gooders think otherwise and pretend that we keep them here and accommodate them at our homes too.
carlos ellul
Jun 25th 2012, 21:37
And yet no one has yet told us how many immigrants Malta can take before saying that its full up. Its a disgrace that Malta still abide to the Dublin 2 treaty which basically makes us the EU unofficial detention center in the South of Europe.
Kurt Waschnig
Jun 25th 2012, 18:35
Yes it is a fact Malta is changing and has changed. There is no doubt more and more refugees will arrive in Malta this year.
They are driven by despair, misery and poverty without any future or hope for themselves and their children.
They try to cross the Mediterranean and risk their life. That means they are determined to risk their life for a better future.
They wish to live in a peaceful environment, they hope for jobs and for a better life.
Lot of them did not reach the shores of Malta.
Lino Spiteri says: “In the meanwhile, Malta continues to be criticised because it places boat people in detention for a period. Criticism of the conditions prevalent in detention quarters may be justified.”
The reality is after arriving in Malta migrants are immediately taken to one of the Detention centres.
They are kept there for a maximum of 18 months.
Criticism of the conditions prevalent in detention quarters are always justified.
There are often cases of mental and physical illness inside detention centres.
Amnesty International describes detention centres (2007) as being: “like a cage”, … without sheets on the beds, broken and dirty mattresses, and no heating, intolerable hygiene conditions with broken showers, no hot water, and toilets without doors and in a state of disrepair... infested with rats. And access to these detention centres is very restricted.
Therefore human beings keeping at detention centres against their will is a crime against dignity and humanity.
And one can experience high levels of xenophobia in Malta, especially a widespread fear of African migrants.
Migrants´ Solidarity Movement (MSM) in Malta is try to help migrants.
Mr Lino Spiteri you say :”Yet detention has to take place for health reasons.” I disagree with you totally.
Migrants should not be treated humanely, they must be treated humanely. That should go without saying because refugees are human beings like you and me Mr Spiteri.
It is practically impossible to stop the influx of migrants and there is no doubt lot of migrants will stay forever in Malta.
Migrants who settled down and will stay in Malta have different customs and values., that has to be recognised by the Maltese community and dealt with in official and personal terms if proper assimilation is to take place.
The social, cultural and economic implications should be anticipated and prepared for now.
Migrants who settled down have the right to get integrated. They shall learn English and Maltese, everything must be done to help migrants to integrate into the society of Malta.
Yes Malta is changing and multiculturalism is spreading step by step in Malta.
Political parties, Trade unions The Church, the people must help refugees because they are human beings who are in despair.
It is not possible to send them back. Other states of the European Union should say YES to migrants and help Malta.
Best regards
Kurt Waschnig Oldenburg Germany
e-mail: [email protected]
Louis Gialanze
Jun 25th 2012, 19:11
Herr Wasching ,Germany's best seller by your compatriot Thilo Sarrazan, aptly titled "Deutschland schafft sich ab" ought to serve as an eye opener to the perils of uncontrolled immigration and multiculturalism which the Leftists and the Eurocommunists are espousing. According to Angela Merkel, attempts to build a multicultural society in Germany "utterly failed" and I personally cannot see how multiculturalism can work on a small and closely knit society like Malta.
Indeed, what's sauce for the goose is ..............
D Muscat
Jun 25th 2012, 19:31
I agree, refugees should be helped, but the people coming to Malta are not refugees but economic migrants. In 10 years, less than 2.5% or 800 people were refugees. Last year only 70 refugees came here . Most were probably Libyans fleeing the war there. The rest are economic migrants abusing the system and the Maltese taxpayer.
Don't be taken in by stories of them fleeing persecution. If they were ever fleeing persecution that was a long time ago before they moved to several safe countries before coming here. Now they are just asylum shopping for better deals. Word has gotten round to Somalia that we are a soft touch. A girl from there confirmed it in a local newspaper a few weeks ago.
They shouldn't be integrated but sent back. Only refugees should be given asylum. The others don't deserve subsidiary protection and are just draining our resources. Resources that should go to people who really deserve them. Refugees.
Emma Xerri
Jun 26th 2012, 03:40
And what is so good about multiculturalism? Your own Merkel said it does not work. So if something bad you wish it upon another?
Louise Vella
Jun 25th 2012, 18:09
More on Eritreans. Nigerian Lucky Okocha Achebe wrote on Jun 23rd: “I was on boat full of Eritreans and sailed by Egyptian. The Eritreans threatened the Egyptian with knife to come to Malta.” See http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120622/local/migrants-destined-for-malta-arrive-in-pozzallo-italian-media.425507
He further wrote: “The solution is; only Somalis from the Southern Somalia deserve protection. As far as Eritreans are concerned President Afeworki is not the only dictator in Africa. But he is the one enjoying big support from his people. The Refugee Commissioner should not be deceived by their lies anymore. How come tens of thousands of them escape each year? It never happened in North Korea or Cuba. As I said before the government is sending them purposely as it fail to create job at home. Only very few of us were forced to leave our country of origin. This is the only way to stop the 2 nationals from targeting Malta.” See http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120623/local/Sending-migrants-back-is-not-wrong-.425553
Somali Mr Ahmed Mohammed wrote: “Stop comparing us with Eritreans. Our situations are not the same... They came from a country where the president walks from his office to his home. Here they are favoured because they are in laws with JRS”. Seehttp://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120531/local/migrants-boat+.422063
The question is: Is Malta’s Refugee Commissioner so naive as to believe everything he’s told?
Andy Farrugia
Jun 25th 2012, 16:17
What writer failed to mention is how to deal with people traffickers.....huge business, big investment! It is clear that there are big marine vessels, which can be easily detected with sophisticated equipment, which are unloading scores of "boat people" at regular intervals close to our shores. Nobody is trying to intercept these BIG vessels.
Louise Vella
Jun 25th 2012, 13:55
More on Eritreans. Nigerian Lucky Okocha Achebe wrote on Jun 23rd: “I was on boat full of Eritreans and sailed by Egyptian. The Eritreans threatened the Egyptian with knife to come to Malta.” See http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120622/local/migrants-destined-for-malta-arrive-in-pozzallo-italian-media.425507
He further wrote: “The solution is; only Somalis from the Southern Somalia deserve protection. As far as Eritreans are concerned President Afeworki is not the only dictator in Africa. But he is the one enjoying big support from his people. The Refugee Commissioner should not be deceived by their lies anymore. How come tens of thousands of them escape each year? It never happened in North Korea or Cuba. As I said before the government is sending them purposely as it fail to create job at home. Only very few of us were forced to leave our country of origin. This is the only way to stop the 2 nationals from targeting Malta.” See http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120623/local/Sending-migrants-back-is-not-wrong-.425553
Somali Mr Ahmed Mohammed wrote: “Stop comparing us with Eritreans. Our situations are not the same... They came from a country where the president walks from his office to his home. Here they are favoured because they are in laws with JRS”. Seehttp://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120531/local/migrants-boat+.422063
The question is: Is Malta’s Refugee Commissioner so naive as to believe everything he’s told ?
Louis Gialanze
Jun 25th 2012, 13:11
Lino Spiteri is an economist by profession and a good one as well. So could Mr Spiteri please reveal to us, the great unwashed, the economic contribution of these illegal immigrants on our Gross Domestic Product
and/or on the basis of GDP per capita. And whilst at it should he not perhaps study the Israeli model which is about the best performing in the developed world and how Israel handles illegal immigration which it sees as an existentiall threat? I am absolutely sure that as a former politician himself he is aware as to the circumstances by which Malta removed it's reservations to the 1951 UN Geneva Convention (by stealth) in 2002 which GBO's own and successive administrations, including the ones Mr Spiteri served, all kept these safeguards in place until we caved in to Brussels and let down our guard in our haste to join the EU.
Robert Callus
Jun 25th 2012, 12:18
First of all, well done to Lino Spiteri for writing something that goes beyond "How Many". On immigration we've been going around in circles on only that issue - which is important, I'm not saying it isn't - and neglected everything else.
The most pressing neglected issue is employment. Certain employers have been abusing immigrants as well as the Maltese taxpayer with impunity since we've only been concerned about the numbers. No one from the political sphere had the guts to address this issue for fear of being called a do-godder or traitor and lose a few votes. They also found it very convenient to let these emloyers do what they want.
This issue should not only be discussed, but a crackdown on illegal employment from govrnement is urgent, especially during the present economic turmoil.
I disagree with Mr Spiteri on only one thing: "preferring to work in the shadow economy". I meet a lot of immigrants, some of whom do not work in a legal manner. However, I haven't yet met one that "prefers" to work in the shadow economy. While there may be exceptions, those who work illegally do not do so out of personal choice. THE EMPLOYER chooses to employ them illegally so that he can pay them less and fire them on a whim.
C Agius
Jun 25th 2012, 09:39
Boat people --- rather dehumanising as a term !
Christine Xuereb
Jun 25th 2012, 09:32
I agree with what all that you say except that they need to remain in detention for heath reasons. Them being in detention is only causing many cases of TB.
On April 10, 2011, there was a press release by Nikki Abela Mercieca stating that the '‘Vast majority’ of irregular migrants arrive healthy', so in that case, the vast majority should not be detained if it's for health reasons!
Going to the economic issues. I agree that the authorities should be doing much more to avoid the exploitation of migrants in cheap labour. It's only in their best interest to stop this- More legal jobs and more taxes!
Louise Vella
Jun 25th 2012, 09:15
Mr Spiteri has omitted to mention three other realities. The first is that Malta's Refugee Commissioner has been dishing out some privileged status (refugee status or subsidiary humanitarian protection) at twice the rate of other European countries. The second reality is that everything UNHCR has said and done in the last 10 years amounts to an encouragement of the influx from Africa to Europe. The third reality is that indications are emerging of a network made of UNHCR, JRS and the Refugee Commissioner which stretches refugee status to nationals of countries who do not deserve it, e.g. Eritrea. Nigerian Mr Lucky
Okocha Achebe has written: “Who says Eritrea is a war zone? Every Eritrean immigrant proudly talks how their president walks from his office to his home without security personnel. Almost all of them pay 2% of what they annually earned to the government even from Malta. So how can you justify asylum for these people? What about the hundreds of Somaliland nationals? See
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120620/local/Malta-tops-asylum-recognition-rates.425100
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