The President says many have not yet accepted multiculturalism. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Granting migrants the right to vote in local council elections would be “jumping the gun” as more fundamental issues still need to be addressed, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca told Times of Malta.

She was reacting to a proposal by human rights NGO Aditus to grant residential migrants the right to vote and stand in local council elections.

The suggestion forms part of the NGO’s National Integration Policy report, published last week, along with other proposals such as the introduction of mentoring programmes for working migrants and the setting up of a consultative council that would allow them to engage with the government on legislation affecting them.

Asked whether she supported the political participation proposal, Ms Coleiro Preca said it was “too early” to discuss the matter.

“Debating this now would stir more controversy than do any good. There are so many more basic problems with regard to migrants’ rights and integration. We should concentrate on those first,” she said.

Aditus is calling on the government to go one further and open a discussion on allowing certain migrants to vote and run in national elections too.

Asked for her position on this, Ms Coleiro Preca argued that society was not ready for the move.

“Many people in Maltese society have not yet accepted multiculturalism. We are not ready. This would be like deciding to bake a dish of potatoes and then eating them before they are cooked,” she said.

Coleiro Preca: we are not ready

News of the proposal sent ripples through social media last week, with many voicing their concern that migrants would use the voting right to “infiltrate” State institutions.

Most notable among the public commentators was Malta’s special envoy to the World Tourism Organisation, Joe Grima.

A former Labour Cabinet Minister, Mr Grima described Aditus, among other things, as “an indecent rapist of Maltese culture and tradition”.

Asked for her reaction to the views expressed by the public, the President raised concerns that extremist factions of society could use the debate as a platform for “scaremongering”.

“We have to tackle this in a timely manner, if not we will be giving society a huge culture shock. Those who are far out on migration issues could use this to make the situation worse,” she warned.

Asked if she agreed with the issue in principle, Ms Coleiro Preca said she felt migrants should be afforded the same opportunities as those Maltese who settled overseas in the past.

“We should treat them like human beings, like any other Maltese who had the opportunity to get their passport and go elsewhere to attain their aspirations,” she said.