‘Aliens’ in an EU country

On May 1, 2004, Malta joined the European Union and, in doing so, agreed to implement EU rules and regulations for all EU citizens in exchange for the same treatment of Maltese nationals across the EU.

Foreigner became the new F word

These are the five main goals of the EU Treaty:

1. Promote economic and social progress. People should be helped to earn enough money and get treated fairly.

2. Speak for the EU on the international scene. By working as a group, the EU hopes that Europe will be listened to more by other countries.

3. Introduce European citizenship. Anyone from a member State is a citizen of the EU and gets four special rights.

4. Develop Europe as an area of freedom, security and justice. Help Europeans to live in safety, without the threat of war.

5. Maintain and build on established EU law. Make laws that protect people’s rights in the member countries.

However, signing the agreement does not seem to equal enforcement of what it provides for and there seems to be little in the way of regulation and consequences if a country does not act in accordance with the treaty.

Of course, everyone knows where I am going with this: the utilities, the buses, the hefty deposits, car registration, etc... all situations that, in my opinion, have been allowed to drag on for far too many years.

We have recently welcomed a new Government into power and so I would like to make it clear that here I am referring to the previous Administration. I would like to give the new Government a chance to right the wrongs that its predecessor inflicted upon EU citizens residing in Malta but to let them know that it should be a top priority for them.

Instead of the previous Government welcoming fellow EU nationals as equals and as an opportunity for economic growth through sharing of resources, it’s as if they saw each non-Maltese EU citizen as a flashing euro symbol and proceeded to make money off them at almost every turn while making things unnecessarily difficult.

I would like to refer to the new e-card, among other things. In 2008, the two-tier tariff was introduced. Only a blind person or a very arrogant one, would consider such provision non-discriminatory, yet it was allowed and approved. Why?

What gives Malta the right to introduce such a blatantly discriminatory tariff for utilities in relation to fellow EU citizens? Should every member State be allowed to introduce such tariffs, in which case it wouldn’t be discriminatory any longer? Of course not.

It is a fact that Malta (among others) contributes a whole lot less than it actually gets in benefits and that’s fine if it plays by the rules... not just the rules but the whole essence of the EU. So why would anyone attempt to bite the hand that feeds it, so to speak?

Then, of course, there are people who wonder why so much ‘alleged’ corruption exists. If the people suspect corruption and see their taxes being increased, their income not making ends meet and bills just getting higher and higher, they must blame it on someone and who better to blame than the foreigner?

In my humble opinion, the previous Government strived to force a ‘them and us’ situation. For most it didn’t work but there is always the exception.

Foreigner became the new F word. “If you don’t like it leave”. “Go back to where you came from if it’s so good there”. Kindergarten spiel but an attitude like that was born from somewhere.

I, for one, love living in Malta, more than many of my Maltese friends, it seems. This is my only home and, for the record, I haven’t been away from the island since 2009 when I visited the USA for my daughter’s wedding.

We are all EU nationals, EU citizens and I will not sit back and watch as the past or present Government of Malta takes advantage of us. It’s wrong and it is totally unjust.

The Labour Party used the slogan Malta For All during the electoral campaign. I would now like to ask the party to stand by its slogan and to start to recognise as equals, not cash cows, the many EU nationals living, working, educating their children, caring for their families, contributing and shopping on this island we call home.

I am hopeful but I have my doubts. Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, we fight on through the ARMS Ltd class action and EUCAD portals, encouraging people to come forward and sign up if they, as EU nationals, feel they have been discriminated against by any company in Malta.

armsclassaction@gmail.com