Giglio playing with fire

“When Maltese citizens are injured and require hospital treatment, it’s a third country national who is likely to be operating, anaesthetising, nursing and caring for them.”

“Foreigners who break the laws of our country will be kicked out instantly and will not be allowed to reenter the country”. “We will start to see how the Army will participate more actively in law enforcement”. “We will not allow people to come here and do what they like”

The statements above didn’t come from Viktor Orban, Marine le Pen, Matteo Salvini or Donald Trump. They were made by Joe Giglio, PN spokesperson for Home Affairs.

Giglio’s reckless and irresponsible discourse is deeply disturbing. His use of stigmatising language stirs up prejudice and hostility towards non-Maltese persons living and working in this country. His statements serve only to dehumanise those contributing significantly to our society, making them even more vulnerable to discrimination and hostility.

Who are “the foreigners” (Il-barranin) Giglio insists should be kicked out (imkeccija) of the country immediately (minnufih)? Even non-Maltese EU citizens are ‘foreigners’. Yet they have every right to live and work in Malta just as Maltese citizens have the right to live and work in any EU country.

If it’s not EU nationals he’s referring to, he should think again. The vast majority of third country nationals are law-abiding hardworking essential workers in several vital areas of the economy. Many of them are delivering essential services in health. Some are highly skilled specialists.

When Maltese citizens are injured and require hospital treatment, it’s a third country national who is likely to be operating, anaesthetising, nursing and caring for them. We have Ukrainian, Russian, Serbian, Kazakh, Indian, Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Nigerian, Filipino, Armenian and Syrian colleagues working with us in the health sector – all extremely dedicated and professional. Without them our health service would crumble. From cleaners to the most highly skilled and specialised surgeons and anaesthetists, it’s third country nationals who ensure delivery of quality care to our nation.

Instead of recognising and valuing their huge contribution, Giglio wants to kick them out if they break the laws of “our” country”. Some of them have been here for over a decade, working with dedication and commitment, sometimes in the face of hostility, racism and abuse from some of the very patients they serve.

Which laws did Giglio have in mind? Will he kick out my surgical colleague who was caught overspeeding as he rushed to hospital in the middle of the night to treat a man who had been stabbed? Will he kick out the carer who parked on a double yellow line out of desperation to get to the ward on time to care for patients? Will he kick out our theatre nursing staff whose visa expired because of the stifling bureaucracy at Identity Malta?

Giglio’s reference to “foreigners” is a regressive, desperate and unconscionable incitement of an already widespread xenophobic sentiment. His discourse only foments and entrenches deep seated prejudices against nonMaltese, with potentially tragic consequences. How many more Lassana Cisses do we need?

Is this the level of desperation the PN has sunk to? Does it really have to resort to dark populism to attempt to restore its political relevance? Whose bright idea was this? Did Giglio discuss this with the party leadership and within party structures before blurting it out? Or was it another Pilatus calamitous solo effort?

This ominous lurch to the right casts a dark shadow. The last thing we need is a xenophobic racist opposition spokesman joining forces with a government harbouring utter contempt for the rule of law. Who is he emulating? Orban?

This is not the democratic progressive party that guided Malta into the EU, that embraced the fundamental values of that institution - respect for human dignity, democracy and the rule of law. Instead Giglio is turning it into a populist party pandering to racist xenophobic sentiment for short term electoral gain. This is Trumpism, Orbanism. This is the territory of maverick fringe parties and right wing zealots.

To make matters even worse Giglio is proposing that the Army should step in to enforce the law. Where does he think he is? North Korea? China? Myanmar? Nowhere in liberal democracies is law enforcement undertaken by military forces except in times of major civil unrest or terror attacks. Armed forces are trained to “engage and destroy”, police to “protect and serve”. In the US, involvement of the army and air force in law enforcement is prohibited under the Posse Comitatus Act. All democratic societies are reluctant to utilise the military for law enforcement. This is a reflection of the primacy of civil government. Yet here is the main spokesperson of the Opposition lining our country up for measures utilised only in Kazakhstan, Belarus and Afghanistan. This is not progress. This is regressive, irresponsible and reckless policymaking on the hoof.

Giglio seems to lack the most basic training in fundamental human rights and non-discrimination. And lacks the humility to learn, consult and discuss.

The PN should be seeking to fight intolerance not incite it. It has a duty to combat racism and xenophobia not create it. Instead of sending positive messages in relation to non-Maltese residents, Giglio is spreading fear, anxiety, anger and resentment. And we know where that leads. It leads to mindless acts of violence, murder, hostility and aggression which are equally destructive to Maltese and non-Maltese.

The mature responsible way to fight intolerance is to strengthen the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Infringements of the law should be dealt with firmly, effectively and fairly - irrespective of whether you are Maltese or ‘a foreigner’. That can only be achieved through a well-trained, well equipped, well-resourced police force with competent leadership. And with a justice system that functions.

Giglio’s cynical and opportunistic exploitation of public anxiety is not only pathetically stupid but is reckless and dangerous. Let’s hope his party reins him in again.