Bags filled with urine have been thrown at migrants, who have also been the target of pepper spray, apart from the more publicised recent cases where a migrant was beaten senseless near Hal Far and another was killed in an alleged race-motivated attack in Paceville, NGOs said today.

"Racist attacks are rising, and the authorities need to acknowledge that a problem of racism exists in Malta," Andre' Callus, from the Graffitti Movement said at a press conference.

The press conference was held together with the Jesuit Refugee Service, the Peace lab, Third World Group, Koppin, Migrants' Solidarity Movement, the Fair Trade Cooperative, AD Youths and Zminijietna.

Describing acts of racism, Mr Callus said there had been cases where as the migrants waited in Marsa in the hope of being picked up to work, a car would drive up. As the migrants looked in to see if they were required, somebody would spray pepper spray into their eyes and then drive off before vehicle details were noted. In other cases urine bags were thrown at the migrants as they walked at Hal Far.

"We hear of so-called no-go areas because of the migrants, but it is the migrants who have been attacked," Mr Callus said.

"On the basis of such incidents, we feel that there is an urgent need for clear and concrete action against racism in Malta. Although we believe that most of the Maltese are not racist, we cannot continue to negate the fact that in Malta, racism is on the increase."

Silence, he said, amounted to complicity and such incidents needed to be given serious and due attention.

He said that talk of the migrants being a threat needed to stop if the growth of racism was to be brought in check.

He suggested that the remit of the Equality Commission could be extended by the government so that it could investigate cases of discrimination against the migrants and proceed accordingly.However resources allocated to the commission would also have to be increased, he said.

See account of attack on migrants at Hal Far at

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090712/local/i-feel-that-my-life-is-in-danger