Editorial: Too many cases, too little courage

There has to be an alarm bell ringing somewhere in Castille when a media article states that an “issue dates back 30 years”.

If a government exists to provide law and order, as opposed to a free-for-all, why should anything take 30 years to resolve?

The article in question refers to caravan owners in Ġnejna Bay that the landowner wants removed – but it is not the only case of people barging into a space.

Squatters occupied Fort Binġemma for decades and only recently left the site, while squatters blocking the historic Dwejra Lines are still there.

It seems a handful of people heard that “possession is nine-tenths of the law” and think this means that they can grab whatever they want – whether it is private or public land.

Times of Malta has carried dozens of articles over the years about restaurants, squatters, caravans and kiosks…

Even when enforcement notices are issued, even when (the paltry) daily fines are imposed, nothing changes. Even the fines remain unpaid in far too many cases.

Why? It is a simple question. Why?

We have a comprehensive system in place to deal with arrogant and anti-social behaviour and cannot allow this to drag on any longer. It is simply not acceptable to be told there are too many cases and that the authorities don’t know where to start.

Once the message goes out loud and clear that no one is above the law, who would dare risk confiscation, fines, legal cases or direct action for removal? Even the bullies will sit up and take note.

For way too long, we have shrugged and assumed this is just something we have to accept, that there are two weights and two measures, that there are those who are simply too powerful for authorities to take action against.

And action means just that: not a situation where cases have to be thrown out of court because there was a procedural error.

The intention has to be to win these cases and consequences for those who snatch anything they please, whether it is a pavement or pjazza, part of a historic walk or a whole fort.

Having said that, the issue of the caravans is slightly different as, for many years, there was no alternative over where to place them.

The campsite at Aħrax was supposed to solve the issue but it is currently closed. And another site along the Coast Road is also languishing.

In the meantime, caravans are still parked for months on end at Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, for example, in spite of new regulations issued in 2024, which not only specified where caravans could stay but also aimed to ensure that everyone got a fair chance at enjoying a bit of the coastline by imposing a maximum of seven days’ stay in the summer months. 

It might not sound like a national crisis but it is the principle that matters: no one should feel they are above the law.

What will it take to get the authorities to sit up and take notice? This inertia has plagued several legislatures, who were loath to take decisive action that might affect the number of votes, from the caravans at White Rocks to houses at Armier, to hunters’ hides at Delimara, to kiosks at Blue Lagoon and illegal restaurants in one town after another.

Those votes have to be balanced against the rights of property owners, commuters and pedestrians, and also bear in mind they disrupt the level playing field for businesses that do things the right way.

When will the authorities show they mean business? The Ġnejna caravans would be a good start.