Editorial: Tackling structural racism effectively

Racism has many faces. Sometimes it bursts out as open hostility – a shouted insult on a bus, a jeer across a street. But just as often it hides in everyday routines: the traveller repeatedly singled out for security checks because of his skin colour, the neighbour always met with quiet suspicion.

Malta’s newly launched National Action Plan Against Racism 2025–2030 (NAPAR) recognises that these experiences can’t be brushed aside. The plan lays out 10 strategic actions, including updates to legislation, stronger prevention and prosecution of hate crimes, and targeted steps to tackle structural racism through training and education.

In a country where nearly a third of residents are not Maltese, having such a framework is not just helpful – it’s essential.

Parliamentary Secretary for Equality Rebecca Buttigieg captured the point clearly at the plan’s launch: “As a society that values equality and inclusivity, Malta must have zero tolerance for racism, as it goes against human dignity and fundamental human rights.”

They are powerful words. But words need follow-through.

Do we have the systems in place to turn these promises into real change?

A recent report by the Council of Europe’s Advisory Committee offers an outside perspective. While noting the progress Malta has made, it also highlights gaps that could limit the country’s ability to tackle racism effectively. At the top of the list is the lack of an independent, fully empowered equality watchdog.

The committee recommends creating a body that can take court action on behalf of victims, issue binding recommendations, and advise authorities on new laws. At the moment, responsibilities are scattered across several entities.

The NAPAR mentions a council and an inter-ministerial coordination mechanism, but without a strong, independent authority that can hold every ministry accountable, the government’s “zero tolerance” promise risks sounding symbolic rather than enforceable.

The committee also points out a weakness in data. Malta still has no comprehensive hate crime database, and the most recent census left out an optional, open-ended ethnicity question.

We can’t protect communities we can’t see, and we can’t reach people who don’t know their rights. The NAPAR does include commitments to improve data collection and public awareness.

Another challenge is funding. The committee warns that relying too heavily on external funding weakens long-term national responsibility for anti-racism work.

The NAPAR is largely backed by EU funds, and while that support matters, it raises a tough question: if Malta truly sees the fight against racism as a national priority, why isn’t it supported more directly through national investment? The plan’s longevity shouldn’t hinge on future grant cycles.

The NAPAR outlines a vision. Now that vision needs to be rolled out to reach every part of daily life: how migrants and foreign workers are treated in hospitals, how children are welcomed into classrooms, how people access justice, housing, employment rights, and family reunification.

This vision has to also filter down into the mundane – where racism also lives: in the way people are treated at a shop counter, in the language used by public officials, in the role models and ambassadors picked to represent the people, in the stories and the people the media choose to highlight or omit.

With a clear plan, and all-round commitment towards it, Malta now has an opportunity to lead with clarity: to recognise that there is only one human race, and that dignity does not depend on birthplace, passport, or the shade of one’s skin.

The National Action Plan is a welcome step.

Its success will, however, depend on the level of commitment and on our willingness to strengthen the structures beneath the plan – and to confront every face of racism, whether shouted or silent.