Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1031063
NEWS 6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 SEPTEMBER 2018 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Ahmed Bugre, director of the Foundation for Shelter and Support to Migrants (FSM), a Maltese national since 1990 and a practising lawyer and pastor, was refused entry to the club last July. "I was meeting two friends in Marsa and I decided to go have a coffee in the square. I did not want to go to another shop as I didn't feel that the appropriate hygienic standards were met, and so I decided to go to this band club," Bugre recounted. However, the individuals re- sponsible for running the bar that day asked Bugre and his friends to leave the premises because the place was only for members. "As soon as I walked in I could feel their eyes looking at me, and I knew exactly what was going to happen… I was so upset that I didn't even say anything. I know that if I had quarrelled with them, it would make it even harder for the next dark-skinned individual who unsuspectingly walked in," Bugre said. Despite the club's official de- nial of a members-only policy, a MaltaToday journalist was told otherwise by the bar owner when visiting the premises as part of an exercise to try and understand the migration phe- nomenon in Marsa. During a visit one evening two weeks ago, the person in charge of the bar on the day informed the journalist that the band club had only recently adopted a membership-only policy to counter a surge in disorderly behaviour in the town. When the journalist pointed out that he had not been asked for his membership at the door, the person replied: "But you're Maltese… It may sound rac- ist but we're forced to enforce such rules." Any policy that discriminates on the basis of skin colour, ra- cial or ethnic origin, is illegal, according to Silvan Agius, the director for human rights and integration directorate. "If the refusal to admit an in- dividual is directly or indirectly based on the skin colour or oth- er racial or ethnic origin char- acteristics, then such action is illegal under both national and EU law," Agius said. He pointed out that victims of such discrimination may report the incident to the National Commission for the Promo- tion of Equality for it to deter- mine whether discrimination is indeed happening and if it is, action is taken to remedy the situation. "One such outcome could be a formal request to repeal illegal policies," Agius said. The government is current- ly finalising its Equality Bill, which intends to facilitate the system of lodging discrimina- tion complaints while increas- ing the remedial action that can be taken in instances like this case. "This action will include the possibility to receive monetary compensation for the damages caused once the bill is passed," Agius said. Marsa and Hamrun have been at the centre of mounting con- troversy over the presence of a large community of migrants living there. Many live in rented overcrowded houses and apart- ments. Some residents have com- plained of disorderly behaviour by some migrants and lament- ed a situation that also sees a few sleeping in the rough on benches in public gardens. The government has re- sponded by increasing the po- lice presence in the locality but people who work with migrants believe this approach does little to address poverty among mi- grants and the lack of integra- tion. MINISTRY FOR HEALTH PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARIAT FOR EUROPEAN FUNDS AND SOCIAL DIALOGUE PUBLIC HEALTH IS YOUR GUARANTEE. TAKE PART. NATIONAL SURVEY ON THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH PROJECT PART-FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION Residents complain of migrants' disorderly behaviour Marsa and Hamrun have been at the centre of mounting controversy over the presence of a large community of migrants living there