Readers of this newspaper write frequently to “condemn” the abuse of, or lack of, basic human rights and alleged discrimination against minorities overseas – invariably matters about which they can do absolutely nothing, nor have any effect.

Who speaks for the minorities in Malta? For example, there are plenty of concerns about the treatment of people who arrive here illegally, but none about the treatment of those who came to Malta and took up residence by consent or (more recently) by right.

I refer to the mainland Europeans, EU citizens (and others) who, for example, are required to pay taxes in Malta but are denied the right to vote and thereby have any say in how those taxes are spent.

Some Europeans are also paying taxes in their native country – so they are supporting Malta both directly and indirectly.

In the 1750s, while Malta was still under the rule of the Knights, the slogan of the American Revolution was “No taxation without representation”. Malta hasn’t caught up with that idea, yet.

And so the services (health is of course a vital one) that are freely available to Maltese citizens (including those who pay no local taxes, who make no financial contribution) don’t automatically come free to these people who are still – after all this time that Malta has been in the EU – officially classed as “Aliens”.

These legally established residents are charged a higher rate than Maltese natives for essential amenities.

Transport Malta even introduced a discriminatory fare on the buses.

The silence from the Maltese is perhaps significant.

If, on the other hand, Israel treated its Palestinian residents, or an Arab country charged its Christian population in this way, we’d never hear the end of it from readers of this newspaper.

And the Maltese government, sure as eggs, would “condemn” it as discriminatory.