Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1005614
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 18 JULY 2018 7 MASSIMO COSTA EVARIST Bartolo has said that it is understandable that some Maltese people feel uncomfort- able in the face of the reality in Malta where people with differ- ent cultures and nationalities are living together in a small society. In light of this, he said he wasn't surprised by the negative reaction he had received after making comments regarding migration on Facebook. Bartolo had, on Sunday, writ- ten on his profile on the social media platform that while it was important that Malta stood firm so as to protect its national interest, the authorities had to act in such as way as to "remain human". He also asked how anyone with a heart could allow people to drown. This solicited a number of comments from critics of the government's decision to par- ticipate in the redistribution of 450 migrants who disembarked in Italy. Asked about the unsupport- ive response he had received, the Education Minister said he could see where many of those commenting were coming from, since, by nature, people prefer to live with others who are of the same skin colour, and who hold the same beliefs and world views. "We have to understand that we are different members of the same family," Bartolo said, "But I can understand this is not easy to do." "It is more difficult to live to- gether if there is diversity in so- ciety, but what is most impor- tant is that we are humane. If I think of someone as lesser than me, and less of a human, that in itself makes me less humane," he said. "We need to make an effort to help each other as much as we can," he noted, "However, it's important that the law applies to all, and that the people com- ing to Malta observe our laws and our Constitution." "It also has to be appreciated that we can only take a certain number of people, because of our size," Bartolo acknowl- edged, saying that Malta had to share its responsibility with other countries. He said he commends the course of action the Prime Min- ister took in the situation of the NGO vessel Lifeline, since he had managed to get leaders of other countries to help. Questioned further on wheth- er he thought there was a prob- lem of intolerance towards migrants in Malta, Bartolo said this wasn't an issue that only our country was dealing with. "I'm not taken aback that there is some intolerance," he said, "When you are used to a certain way of life and certain traditions, and someone with a different culture comes to your country, this creates societal challenges." "It's necessary, in my view, to understand the points made by those who caution us to be careful how many migrants we take in and to ensure our soci- ety can withstand the change." "But you shouldn't spread hate, and say things like 'Why don't we throw them into the sea?", he added, "That's no way of speaking about a fellow hu- man being. I want to believe that the people who say such things would still try to save somebody's life, if that person were drowning." mcosta@mediatoday.com.mt NEWS ANALYSIS FULL TIME SHOWROOM MANAGER Candidate will be responsible for day-to-day retail, customer service and logistics operations. Ideal candidate should have knowledge of boating and automotive systems, and possess basic IT skills. Kindly send your CV to careers@strandmarinemalta.com or contact +356 99209690 Strand Marine & Auto Systems Ltd. Valdor Bldgs, Triq is-Sebh, Qormi, QRM 9055, Malta B A T T E R I E S sult may well be a deterioration of human conditions in Libyan camps. Yet while Muscat's approach is not solely motivated by hu- manitarian considerations and follows a cold logic, he is find- ing it difficult to assuage ir- rational fears of an 'invasion', which according to surveys is the main concern of the Mal- tese with regards to migrants. The Opposition's quandary On Sunday Adrian Delia re- sisted the growing temptation to put corruption aside and ad- dress the migration problem. In fact, in a brief radio inter- view on Sunday, Delia pressed on political responsibility for the FIAU's failures on Pilatus Bank. Yet when confronting the issue, the Opposition has changed tactics. Instead of focusing on the role of the Attorney General and FIAU officials as it was prone to do under Simon Bu- suttil, the Opposition has tak- en a leaf from Eddie Fenech Adami's book who always used to confront the politicians re- sponsible rather than the pub- lic servants. It may, however, be taking a risk by hitting out at one of Labour's most respected ministers whose performance as Finance Minister has been a positive one. But perhaps the Opposition could be playing on Scicluna being uncomfortable with be- ing held responsible for events which were beyond his control. Delia has also dispelled criti- cism that he is ignoring the good governance issue by fo- cusing on the EBA's decision during a brief phone interview on the party's radio station. Delia was also surprisingly si- lent on the migration issue and refrained from capitalising on signs of fractures in Labour's electorate on the government's decision to accept migrants rescued near Italy. While Delia's party may score more political points in the short term if it capitalises on the migration issue, in doing so it may well alienate PN voters who cherish their party's his- tory of openness. He also risks raising expecta- tions of xenophobes which, as Muscat slowly discovered, can never be entirely satisfied. The problem for Delia is that si- lence may not be an option on the issue which dominates the current news cycle. This may well be an issue where both major parties stand to gain by seeking a consensus based on humanistic values and a European approach to a problem which lacks a silver bullet solution. Achilles' heel? Negative feelings on migration understandable in small society with different cultures, Evarist Bartolo says Education minister stresses importance of helping migrants as much as possible, but acknowledges space limitations have to be considered