Migrant workers and activists in Malta took to the capital’s streets over the weekend to protest against racial violence and abuse of power against ethnic minorities in the country.
The protest was organised by the Maltese Black Lives Matter (BLM) group and was entitled “Where’s the Respect? No ‘Us’ Without ‘Them’.”
“For decades we have been hearing of incidents of institutional neglect and racial violence, often at the hands of those entrusted with a responsibility and duty to protect. Enough is enough! All members of the Maltese society, regardless of background or origin, deserve to be respected and to feel safe in their community,” BLM Malta said.
Comprising 26.5% of the total Maltese labour force, migrant workers, including refugees and asylum-seekers, contribute hundreds of millions in euros to state coffers and the economy every year. Despite this, unwelcoming rhetoric against foreigners prevails, starting from the government which has been widely accused of ignoring the plight of migrants stranded at sea, as well as delaying assistance.
“Every week we learn of yet another incident of violence, often at the hands of those entrusted with a responsibility and duty to protect. 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,” a statement from the organisation added.
The protests come after three Maltese police were charged with a raft of offences for kidnapping and assaulting black people.
Additionally, in 2019, two Maltese soldiers were charged with murdering a migrant from the Ivory Coast.
They faced charges of inciting hatred based on race and racially aggravated murder and were punishable with life in prison. The victim, Lassana Cisse Souleymane was walking home along a road when he was shot by a passing car which then sped off, leaving him dead and two others injured.
Police said the attack was racially motivated and a source in the investigation said one of the suspects had admitted to targeting the migrants “just because they were black.”
Malta, an EU member state since 2003 has long grappled with racism as well as an influx of migrants crossing from Libya and North Africa.
In March 2022, the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) expressed concern that Malta had no plans to introduce a form of regularisation for people who had resided there for many years and could not be returned to their countries of origin.
Other concerns have been consistently raised about the country failing or delaying responses to humanitarian calls at sea, and keeping refugees and asylum seekers in appalling conditions in “ sub-standard, unsanitary” migrant camps.
In October 2021, the country’s first Anti-Racism Strategy was launched with support from European Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli. “We need to treat racism as if it were a direct attack on ourselves”, she stated at the time.
There is no public information available on the outcome of the strategy over the last year.
“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,” activists said.
(Alice Taylor | Exit.al)
Source: euractiv.com
