I am very upset as I am a person of calibre and have the qualifications to prove it. I invested in Malta, building up an internationally acclaimed weaving business in Gozo, and created many jobs.

After many problems with my work permit, mainly, it seems, caused by local entrepreneurs who wanted to take over the business, I was deported in 1982.

I then had a very interesting career working as a textile and craft expert for the Commonwealth and various UN agencies and travelling all over the world.

When I returned to Gozo (I have a farmhouse here), I found, to my disgust, that my exceptionally skilled ex-workers (also people of calibre) were being employed to clean floors in the hospital.

In 1990, I tried to get a work permit and start up the workshop again, but this seemed impossible. This was a pity, because I was getting some very big export commissions for tapestries. It would have been very unwise, inviting trouble in a very negative competitive environment, to train and employ workers to help, so I just quietly did the work myself.

If we had been allowed to function, we would have earned Malta considerably more than €650,000 and created sustainable jobs.

Why is it that Maltese who decide to live in England are encouraged to be successful and contribute to the economy, whereas British nationals who try to do the same thing here receive this sort of treatment? This is really sad because I like living in Gozo.