Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/762759
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2016 TIM DIACONO A university lecturer is gathering signatures in an attempt to per- suade Prime Minister Joseph Mus- cat to backtrack on his pledge to de- port some 28 failed Malian asylum seekers. In his petition, education lecturer Colin Calleja argues that most of the migrants designated for depor- tation have become contributors to communities and that tearing them out will amount to "a violent assault on Maltese society". "We believe that a society that holds strong to democratic prin- ciples and inclusive ideals should never consider the deportation of people on the sole basis of legal ir- regularities," he wrote. "Not hold- ing a permanent permit to reside in Malta did not prevent the people in question from contributing to our society and from establishing rela- tionships." The EU has signed a deal with Mali that will see it provide funds to the West African country in re- turn for its agreement to accept failed asylum seekers from Euro- pean countries and step up its fight against human smuggling. Joseph Muscat argued last month that Malta will lose credibility with the EU if, after warning for so long that it cannot accept more irregu- lar immigrants, it fails to repatriate failed asylum seekers. However, in his petition Calleja counter-argued that Malta would actually gain credibility within EU institutions if it continues hosting the migrants, and that deporting them would inflict a loss of credibil- ity on both the Maltese government and people. "The Maltese government's claim that a small country like Malta needs urgent help to survive the wave of immigration does not con- tradict potential efforts of the Mal- tese government to offer hospitality to migrants who are already living in Maltese territory. "As concerned people who have at heart both the wellbeing of any hu- man individual and that of Maltese society, we urge the Maltese gov- ernment to renounce the decision to deport these individuals. We are willing to collaborate with the Maltese authorities in finding more creative and inclusive solutions through which both the migrants and Maltese society will benefit." At the time of writing, MaltaTo- day was unable to contact Calleja to ascertain how many people have signed his petition. However, a number of university lecturers – including Michael Briguglio, Peter Mayo, Marie Briguglio and Mario Aquilina – as well as St Julian's deputy mayor Albert Buttigieg and Alternattiva Demokratika official Mario Mallia have all declared on Facebook that they will sign it. President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca used her annual Republic Day speech yesterday to condemn the proposed deportations. "As a guardian of the Constitu- tion, I believe that Malta should continue to host all those who live among us, or those who come to visit us, with the utmost love and respect. I am morally convinced that we should appreciate, and not condemn, people who are helping to build our prosperity, and who form part of our society, by sending them back." People wishing to sign this peti- tion are requested to send an email to Colin Calleja on colin.calleja@ um.edu.mt with their name and ID number. tdiacono@mediatoday.com.mt News Lecturer's petition urges Muscat not to deport Malian asylum seekers "Tearing Malian migrants from their local communities to which they now belong amounts to a violent assault on Maltese society" – petition calls on Prime Minister to backtrack on deportation pledge Failed asylum seekers are being kept at the Safi detention centre ahead of their deportation to Mali European Commission asked to investigate alleged fuel cartel in Malta European Commission asked to investigate complaints that identical petrol and diesel prices across Maltese petrol stations breaches the rights of Maltese consumers THE European Parliament's peti- tions committee has asked the Eu- ropean Commission to conduct a preliminary investigation into com- plaints of an alleged cartel in the sale of fuel at Maltese fuel stations. This follows a petition by the Mal- ta Automobile Club that Malta is the only EU country where the price of fuel is exactly the same at every petrol station, meaning that con- sumers do not receive any benefits from the competitive oil market. "The import, storage and sale of oil and diesel should not be in the hands of the government or state-owned companies, but instead it should be transferred to the control of foreign oil companies," the MAC wrote in its petition. "The Prime Minister, the Energy Minister and the Economy Minister announce the price of liq- uid fuels in their budget talks three months before they enter into force. The government owns all oil stores, and the import of oil is mainly con- trolled by the state-owned Enemed Company Limited, although there are two private companies who also import diesel oil. The price of fuel is exactly the same at all service sta- tions. Which other EU country has the same situation?" Now, 11 months since the peti- tion was lodged, the Petitions Com- mittee has informed the Malta Automobile Club that its petition is admissible and that it has been forwarded to the European Com- mission to conduct a preliminary investigation. MAC president Alfred Farrugia questioned why the Petitions Com- mittee will not conduct its own investigation, arguing that the EC has already defended the practice "bringing up all kinds of excuses no doubt fed by the local authorities". Suspicions of a fuel cartel on the is- land was raised last year after Rabat petrol station owner Mario Camill- eri was pressured into revoking his decision to sell diesel 2c below the price established by the govern- ment. On the same day that he an- nounced his decision, he was warned by Joe Falzon, owner of Fal- zon Group, which supplies diesel, that his higher profit margins would be withdrawn unless he backtracked on his decision. However, the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority, the body tasked with investigating competition complaints, in October dismissed calls for an investigation into the alleged fuel cartel, arguing that "parallel behaviour alone be- tween competitors is normally not sufficient to prove the existence of unlawful anti-competitive behav- iour". "How could the Falzon Group, a minor importer, offer a higher mar- gin of profit to retailers of diesel on condition that they sell it at the same price as that of Enemed?" Al- fred Camilleri wondered. "Is it not obvious that Enemed is making an abnormal margin of profit on diesel as a result of its dominant position in the market? He claimed that the government's grip on the fuel market amounts to blatant discrimination against Mal- tese consumers. "In which EU member state do we find all the prices of petrol and die- sel exactly the same throughout the whole country? In which EU mem- ber state are the prices of petrol and diesel announced and fixed by the government as is the case in Malta? "In which other EU Member State are the storage facilities for the lo- cal market practically all owned by the government, or its state-owned companies? How can the local rep- resentatives of the foreign oil com- panies compete with Enemed when it or the government can increase the storage fees at will? How can the local representatives of the for- eign oil companies compete with Enemed and plan their marketing strategies when the government can terminate the storage lease at will?" Moreover, he added that Maltese consumers are the only ones in Eu- rope who have no idea what brand of petrol and diesel they are pur- chasing at the pump, and whether the unleaded petrol they are pur- chasing even contains ethanol. tdiacono@mediatoday.com.mt Man grievously injured in Zurrieq roof collapse JEANELLE MIFSUD A man was grievously injured when the roof of a residence he was working at collapsed, causing him to fall through. The accident, which took place at about 9am at Sqaq San Kristo- fru, Zurrieq, led to a medical team and members of the Civil Protec- tion Department being called on the scene. The man, 35, from Zurrieq, was hospitalised and reported to be suffering from grievous injuries. Police investigations are ongo- ing. Three police officers, motorist injured in Gzira traffic collision THREE members of the police force and a man were injured yesterday when two cars collided in Rue d'Argens, Gzira. The collision, which took place at 8am, was between a Ford Fo- cus police car, and a private vehi- cle, a Ford Fiesta. The 54-year-old driver of the Fiesta and the 25-year-old police constable, from Sta Venera, who was behind the police car wheel, together with a police sergeant, 35, from Gzira, and a woman constable, 24, from San Gwann, were conveyed to Mater Dei hos- pital by ambulance. It was later declared that that the 54-year-old driver was griev- ously injured while all three polices officers suffered minor injuries. A 20-year-old male passenger in the Ford Fiesta was unharmed.