Modern-day slavery

There are many things in our recent history that I will never understand why we don’t have more information about. At school, our teachers went on and on about the Great Siege and World War II, but we learnt next to nothing about our migration patterns, which formed a significant chapter in our history.

Perhaps if we had learnt how much our people struggled to work and integrate in lands so far away from their own, it would have made us far more compassionate to the plights of the people who have travelled here themselves for a better life, and court cases like the one that took place last week wouldn’t have come to pass.

On Wednesday, a Maltese man was jailed for two years after he pleaded guilty to trafficking Indian migrant workers into Malta for non-existent jobs. The man was arrested following a joint investigation by the police and JobsPlus that concluded that he was falsely claiming to require a significantly larger number of workers than the ones he actually employed.

The migrant workers told the police that they paid €1,500 each to come to Malta after seeing adverts for everything from dishwashers to cleaners. However, when investigations were carried out, it was discovered that the number of workers brought to Malta far exceeded the demands of the accused’s company operations. During his arraignment, he was charged with assisting individuals to illegally come into the country, making false declarations to the authorities, and breaching provisions of the Immigration Act.

It is nothing short of deplorable that people are being brought to this country under false pretences and then basically left here to fend for themselves while modern-day slave drivers pocket their money. It is even more disgusting that these people who, like many of our forefathers, are here in search of a better life, are blamed for our overcrowding issues.

Foreigners aren’t the enemy here; our greedy country people and lazy and shortsighted authorities are- Anna Marie Galea

Who did people think were bringing them here if not other Maltese citizens? How many other men and women like the accused are still funnelling people into Malta under the radar because our authorities are more focused on being petty than sorting out the real issues gripping this country?

Who hasn’t seen glimpses of the awful accommodation many of these third-country nationals end up living in, all crammed together like cattle? Next up, we will be holding their passports hostage so they can’t leave, like they allegedly do in other “civilised” countries where modern slavery is rife.

Third-country nationals are not second-class human beings, and this should be reflected in the language and rhetoric we employ when speaking to and about them, and the actions taken when abuse occurs. Our economy should not be used as a sacrificial altar for other people’s dignity. Given our own country’s story, it should be easier than it seems to understand that it’s only at this point in history that we’re luckier, not better.

We need to open our eyes to what is going on on our doorstep, show some empathy, and if we must lay “blame”, we must lay it down at the right door. I know that it’s hard for many to swallow, but foreigners aren’t the enemy here; our greedy country people, and lazy and shortsighted authorities are.