[WATCH] Far-right flop for protest on anti-immigration referendum

Far-right activists held a protest in Valletta, after a petition calling for the stop to illegal immigration was blocked by parliament’s Petitions Committee.  

The petition, calling on the country to not accept the arrival of illegal immigrants, was circulated on social media platforms during the summer, and was fronted by anti-immigrant fire brand Anton Cutajar, former police officer Raymond Ambrogio and Noel Apap.  

“The themes of this protest are national security and the Parliamentary Petition ‘Number 14’ which is about a referendum to be held over the organised invasion by illegal immigrants that is being ignored by Malta’s Parliament,” the organisers said.  

In an email sent to the protest’s organisers, Petitions Committee Secretary Anita Muscat said a number of requests made in the petition are already being carried out according to international regulation.  

The group’s calls for a European wide relocation mechanism were also shot down, with Muscat stating that under current legislation countries are not obliged to receive migrants which are rescued by border countries like Malta, Cyprus, Italy and Spain.