The Maltese branch of the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) has expressed grave concerns over the language used by some Maltese on social media with regards to the recent stranding of a migrant vessel close to Malta’s shores.
It said in a statement on Tuesday that a diverse range of health professionals, including psychiatrists, paediatricians, mental health nurses, psychologists, social workers, speech and occupational therapists, working with children and adolescents, shared dismay at how these migrants remained abandoned at sea for days, causing them severe physical and psychological distress, and leading some of them to death.
“Our focus, as a country, should be to foster a culture of empathic understanding and respectful discourse,” they said, warning that attitude towards those in need was unequivocally reflective of the capacity as a society to cherish life.
“By refusing to help those in need, and by propagating a discourse which is stereotypical, xenophobic and demeaning towards members of other ethnicities, we are inadvertently influencing our younger generations’ perspectives towards cultural diversity.”
The association strongly condemned any form of racist comments made by public officials and the public, citing cases where people unashamedly described those stranded at sea as an unwanted burden or a potential public health hazard.
In such instances, some peoples’ lives were deemed more worthy than others, and those in need were left abandoned to a cruel fate. Had it not been for the intervention of humanitarian NGOs, the death toll would have probably been much higher, it said.
One should aim to be compassionate towards those in need, regardless of wealth, social status or origin. Malta’s national heritage included historical episodes where the Maltese welcomed those in need: from the biblical episode of St Paul’s shipwreck, celebrated as national and religious holiday by many, to Malta’s role at offering hospice care in the Middle Ages, down to Malta being referred to as the “nurse of the Mediterranean”.
Such historical instances shed light into the disposition of the Maltese’s forefathers to help those in need, even at times when Malta itself was plunged into poverty and war.
“Should we be the generation which forsakes the heritage of compassion and care given to us by our forefathers. Is this the spiritual legacy we wish to pass on to generations to come,” it asked.