Prime Minister Robert Abela said Monday he dissociates himself from hate speech and it is up to the police to take action as required.

He was replying to a question over whether he condemned a Facebook comment on Sunday by Gozo Channel chairman Joe Cordina directed against young activist Xandru Cassar.

Abela did not mention Cordina by name. (Cordina later took down his post and apologised).

He pointed out, however, that when Cassar held a lone protest outside the Auberge de Castille, complaining about the government's migration policies, he had invited him in, offered him food and drink, and had a discussion for almost an hour.

Abela said that on the subject of migration the worst position one could take was to be populist. One had to keep in mind, he said, that many of the migrants were escaping war.

He pointed out, however, that some of the migrants came to Malta from  Bangladesh, which was not a war zone. Therefore these people had no right for protection and the process for their repatriation would be taken in hand. 

Malta, he said, could not continue with a situation where more than 1% of its population consisted of irregular migrants.  

Malta was observing its international obligations. which laid down that it should coordinate rescues, although not necessarily carrying out the rescues itself, although it had done both.

Others, who criticised Malta, did practically nothing.

Action over Chris Cardona

Asked whether he would ask for the suspension of Chris Cardona from his post as deputy leader for party affairs of the Labour Party after revelations in court linking him to the Daphne Caruana Galizia case, Abela said he had always known Cardona as someone who did what was best for the Labour Party and he was sure he would do that this time as well.