Integration and respect
A small but important Black Lives Matter protest was held in Valletta last weekend, which pointed out a number of issues Malta must address.
“The Government has committed itself to building a ‘cosmopolitan Malta’. Workers from around the world have been invited to come to Malta – but many are not truly welcomed. Every single day migrants, black, and brown people, contribute to our growth and wellbeing and in return they face precarity, abuse, exploitation and violence. Where is the respect”, a press statement by the group said after the protest.
We have all heard the stories on exploitation of migrant workers.
We have all heard stories about violence against migrants… the murder of Lassana Cisse allegedly by two soldiers, together with the alleged beating of migrants by police officers who currently stand charged in court.
But let’s also not forget the Facebook comments on stories involving migrants, which probably wouldn’t be made about people coming from Europe.
Integration is an important step if we are to see this country succeed, but integration doesn’t fall solely on the shoulders of those moving to Malta… where the local community must also open its arms. Those moving to the country must be willing to integrate, and those in the country must be willing to welcome them. Having divided communities does not create harmony or peace. It creates instead piques, distrust, and even hatred. We all need to work together in order to be able to become a better, as well as unified, society.
There are legitimate concerns regarding Malta’s ever increasing population, yes, but at the same time people shouldn’t be treating others as outcasts just because of where they come from. People also further cannot judge an entire group of people because some of them, with the same skin colour, would have committed crimes. We need to find a way to create a better environment that promotes integration, as well as create a community that is welcoming to all people living in this country. Doing so might help to solve other issues, such as precarious employment and exploitation.
“Thanks to two decades of racialised discourse, abusive policies, and human rights violations, racism has become institutionalised, bullying and violence have become normalised, and a sense of impunity festers and prevails. As a result, black and brown people in Malta do not feel safe. Enough is enough. More than a year ago the Government acknowledged the extent of Malta’s problem in regards to institutional racism. In launching the Anti-racism Strategy it committed – on paper at least – to doing better. But it has clearly and repeatedly failed to do so. What we continue to see is half-baked political statements, insulting platitudes, ongoing dehumanisation of black and brown people in discourse, policy, and practice, and an apparent total disregard for their wellbeing”, the Black Lives Matter Malta group said.
We need to eradicate racism in Maltese society. It is not right that people are viewed with suspicion just because of the colour of their skin, or that they are treated differently because of that.
Everyone has the right to feel respected as a person, and not to be judged just because of the colour of their skin.