Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1256426
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 JUNE 2020 OPINION Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi is Parliamentary Secretary for EU funds could still very easily be argued that Malta's general immigration policy, over the past 20 years, has likewise been "designed to restrict ['irregu- lar migrants'/asylum seekers'] ac- tivity and ensure their availability as a labour force…" Elsewhere, almost every one of the 'milestones' in that article seems to correspond with one aspect or an- other of our own (much shorter) history of co-existence with other races/ethnicities. Just consider how much of our institutionalised re- sponse to migration has – deliber- ately or otherwise – served to dehu- manise those people; just as slavery did in America. Ever since the early 2000s, suc- cessive Maltese governments have always adopted the same policy of blanket, arbitrary and – in the be- ginning, at least – indefinite deten- tion of all migrants arriving by boat. There have, admittedly, been im- provements in the conditions of de- tention since those early days: even if they were mostly imposed on (visibly reluctant) Maltese govern- ments by entities such as the UN's Committee For the Prevention of Torture and Degrading Treatment. To this day, however, the same general policy is still in place: and still resulting in sporadic protests/ hunger strikes/riots within closed detention centres. Coupled with the ghettoisation caused by Mal- ta's 'Open Centre' policies… not to mention an often undisguised anti-migrant bias in news reporting (for instance, that notorious TVM bulletin which compared the latest migrant arrivals to an 'infestation of jellyfish'), the result is that most people's perception of African mi- grants is pre-emptively tinged with a veneer of criminality: whether or not they themselves are 'racist', in any real sense of the word. So where those early Afri- can-American slaves may have been chained together by the neck or ankle, and sold off at public auctions like chattels… our own resident population of Africans is most commonly portrayed as be- ing either handcuffed, or rattling the wire-netting fence of a maxi- mum-security prison. And that's before we even get to the part where the government of Malta has now adopted a whole new policy of detaining migrants out of sea, just beyond the limits of our territorial waters… thus ef- fectively realising Norman Low- ell's promise, way back in 2005, to 'stop them at 14 miles' (resulting, if you'll remember, in criminal charg- es against Lowell for 'hate speech'). Much more to the point, howev- er: the single most glaring similarity with 19th century America is that our resident African population is meanwhile setting down its roots here: just as America's slave pop- ulation did all those centuries ago. They are now working here; paying taxes here; having children here… and those children are in turn up growing up here; going to school here; planning to get married here, and have children of their own, and so on ad infinitum. How long, then, before the rest of the country (starting with gov- ernment, and policy-makers across the board) finally comes round to accepting this as a new reality that must perforce – regardless of any individual opinion – be accommo- dated? And has anyone even started contemplating the price we might all have to pay, for repeating so many of the mistakes made by the USA over the course of the past 400 years? If not, I'd suggest we start paying closer attention to what is currently happening in America. It may well be a glimpse of our own, not-so dis- tant future… Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi LAST Thursday I had the opportunity to ad- dress the MED7 meeting for European Affairs Ministers of the Southern European Union Member States. The meeting addressed var- ious themes which are currently at the top of the European Union's agenda, such as the Multiannual Financial Framework for the pe- riod 2021-2027. This discussion on the EU budget is being held in parallel with the dis- cussion on the European Commission's pro- posal for a new recovery instrument, or the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan, which is aimed at assisting Member States recov- er from the economic distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the meeting, I had the opportunity to highlight the successful containment of the vi- rus and the steady fall in the transmission rate which dropped below 0.5 in the Maltese islands. This achievement is the result of a co-ordinat- ed approach by the Maltese authorities and noted that this allowed our health authorities to authorise the easing of restrictive measures which had to be introduced over the past three months. The coordination and sharing of information on respective exit plans and transparency in re- spective epidemiological data was extensively emphasised. As an open economy, Malta has been heavily impacted due to its reliance on tourism. Yet, as a result of the most generous stimulus packag- es offered by any European Government, the unemployment rate was kept at a low in Malta. This package will be further enhanced by other measures that will be announced tomorrow by the Minister for Finance in a mid-year special budget. All these stimulus measures will com- plement the European Commission's Recovery Plan announced last week. The proposed EU Recovery Plan The Government believes that the Recovery Plan contains both positive elements, as well as elements which require caution, such as the fact that the allocation criteria for newly es- tablished EU funds, like the Recovery and Re- silience Facility and the React-EU Fund, seem to be punishing those Member States which made significant and painful efforts in the last few years to reduce unemployment levels. In this regard, I emphasised that GDP statistics do not tell the entire story of an economy and that the specific circumstances of individual mem- ber states should be taken into consideration when calculating the level of recovery aid being attributed. Our geographic reality and heavy reliance on the tourism industry should not be overlooked. These permanent structural handicaps expose us to higher risks and increase our vulnera- bility, and as a matter of fact might result in a longer recovery period. There is an ongoing controversy within var- ious exponents on the financing methods for the new recovery instruments. This is another area where the Government is advocating the Union should tread with caution. The so-called "new resources" that the Commission wants to acquire to finance these instruments will inev- itably lead to the imposition of new taxes and subsequent disproportionate impact on local economies. Migration While delving on disproportionate pressures, I had the opportunity to present Malta's is- sues on the migration crisis in the Mediterra- nean region. In recent weeks, Malta, through its Minister for Foreign and European Affairs has been constantly speaking to several coun- terparts, including the Vatican, third countries and multilateral organisations, to explain the impact of a failed EU migration policy that has left Malta facing disproportionate migratory pressures alone. Many of our counterparts appreciate the ef- forts and sacrifices we had to endure, and un- derstand our frustrations, however, only a few partners are being helpful. With the current trends and numbers, our reception centres are well beyond their capacity and there is very lit- tle the Maltese authorities can do with the lim- ited assistance being provided. While many are calling for the disembarkation of the migrants on vessels outside Malta's territorial waters, pledges for relocation remain scarce or absent. We look forward to the Commission's pro- posal of a new European pact on migration and asylum, which should be based on the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility, and provide tailored assistance to most-affect- ed Member States. The Government is ready to discuss a compre- hensive approach with a long or medium-term solution, but Malta needs assistance imminent- ly. The current focus should therefore be on the prevention of flows, mostly through coopera- tion with countries of origin and transit. Hence, Libya's stability and cooperation remain cru- cial. The European Union must have a wider outlook on this phenomenon and more atten- tion should be given to our southern neighbour continent, Africa. This is a key element in our future endeavours towards a comprehensive settlement to this huge problem facing our re- gion, and mostly Malta. It is imperative the EU gives due consideration to the Mediterranean perspectives. A stronger response to the realities of the member states in the Medierranean is of essence and definitely a step in the right direction. The Mediterranean dimension Much as I hate to have to add this: we have also become a country where 'black lives' demonstrably 'matter less'… not merely because Lassana's murder did not arouse as much outrage as it really should have