As befits a senior government minister, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri was critical of hate-filled and often racist comments expressed on social media following the annual Filipino celebration of the feast of Santo Niño held in Marsascala recently.
He correctly argued that such comments reflect badly not only on those who make them but also more broadly on those Maltese people who do not share them.
This was evidenced in hundreds of comments posted on social media.
The viewpoints he criticised included many of the ignorant and ill-informed assertions that ‘foreign’ communities are undermining Maltese culture and identity and that the needs of ‘Maltese people’ have ceased to be a priority. In short, Malta is no longer ‘owned’ by the Maltese.
In that context, some have even gone so far as to argue for the rights denying ‘solutions’ proposed by the extreme right in Malta, hateful suggestions which should be rejected outright.
In his comments, Camilleri reminded the public of the vital services and support Filipinos provide nationally, being carers, accountants and workers in hospitality.
Tellingly, he insisted that, as a result, no one had the right to prevent them from living their lives fully and in peace. It is quite tragic to note that hardly any politicians are prepared to call out racism and hatred these days.
Yet, in so many ways, the original comments made, the minister’s response to them and the subsequent social media arguments reflect the broader debate on migration to and from Malta and on multi-culturalism and interculturalism. They reflect the reality that Malta is, and has been for centuries, a migrant culture.
The minister is to be applauded for his commentary and the sentiments underlying them. But Camilleri’s comments raise as many issues and questions as they address. The words of a minister in one Facebook post do not necessarily make government policy, especially in the context of other government practices and behaviours.
If the minister and his colleagues are serious about acknowledging and valuing the very significant contributions of Malta’s migrants, there are many urgent issues they need to address.
Practices in employment, in social and health services, in education, in policing and in public culture are just some of them.
One important area in which there is a glaring inconsistency between the sentiments expressed by Camilleri and the government of which he is a prominent member is the appalling treatment of migrants in the seas around Malta and the way racial profiling is silently taking place in certain areas.
But, more broadly, the issues are not solely the preserve of government ‒ all members and sectors in Maltese society have clear responsibilities also. The construction and hospitality sectors have obvious and immediate responsibility; so too employer bodies, trade unions and politicians in general.
Churches, schools, social and cultural organisations and sporting bodies should also be involved much more significantly.
It also goes without saying that individuals engaged in public commentary, and not just on social media, have readily identifiable responsibilities. It is not right to just remain silent when faced with the deluge of hateful, xenophobic and racist comments that flood our social platforms daily.
Malta desperately needs an integration policy that welcomes the different nationalities around us, irrespective of colour or creed. Nobody should be feeling left out or marginalised.