PD appeals for Malta to be ‘the force of reason’ on migration

● ‘Malta cannot beat criminality and inhumanity by more brutality and abuse of human rights’

Partit Demokratiku has called on Malta to form part of a ‘force of reason’ and to not support the ongoing ‘force of treason’ insofar as migration and European Union values concerned.

“Malta cannot singlehandedly solve the massive migration challenge caused by war and lawlessness,” PD acknowledged yesterday.

The problem is a global one, PD observed, and it is one that requires “nothing less than the commitment of global leaders for a humane solution to be found and implemented”.

“Malta,” PD said, “cannot bow to populist power hungry bullies like Italy’s Salvini, whose political survival depends on creating an enemy on which Italians, angry at the incompetence of successive governments, can vent their anger.

“Malta cannot engage in such brinkmanship while people seeking refuge are killed or left to drown.

“Malta cannot incarcerate the potential saviours of these condemned brethren.

“Malta cannot speak about its record of respect for Human Rights and its top speed legislation for Civil Rights, and then turn its back on Human Rights and on everything that we stand for, constitutionally or otherwise.

“Malta cannot permanently host all those people who risk the treacherous Mediterranean crossing, however, it cannot actively refuse humanitarian assistance, and it certainly shouldn’t block or discourage the rescue of distraught humans whose case for asylum hasn’t even been made.”

But what Malta can do, according to PD, is to lead by example: “Malta has to continue to insist that burden sharing, assimilation, integration and giving refugees a real chance, while working on the causes of forced displacement, is the only way we can save the concept of the Europe we joined back in 2004.

“Malta cannot beat criminality and inhumanity by more brutality and abuse of human rights.

“By converging the efforts of the countries who are living up to their European values, to present a common front to withstand the Far-Right EU bullies who are dismantling everything we stand for, Malta can lead by example.”