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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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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.

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.

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?

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