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Equality Commission: pushback policy intensified discrimination against migrants
Decisions taken to tackle the issue of irregular migration should not include any push back measures, the NCPE says.
12 July 2013, 12:00am
Jurgen Balzan
Jurgen Balzan
1 min read
The government's decision to consider sending migrants back to Libya has exacerbated the prevailing situation of discrimination towards migrants, the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE) said.
The NCPE said it was "seriously concerned" that the arrival of irregular migrants in Malta and the advocating of a push-back policy to deal with the influx of irregular migrants "exacerbate the prevailing situation of discrimination towards migrants departing from Africa through a policy which is intrinsically discriminatory particularly in respect to the right to life and safety for all.
In a statement issued this morning, the commission said: "The NCPE believes that just as the Government has been a promoter of positive changes in matters relating to other grounds of discrimination, such as sexual orientation, its policies in relation to migration should be equally sensitive."
The phenomenon of irregular migration policies that address irregular migration should also reflect an unwavering commitment towards the respect and upholding of the fundamental rights and intrinsic human dignity of every human being irrespective of race or ethnicity, the commission added.
"It is the firm view of NCPE that any decisions taken to tackle the issue of irregular migration should not include any push back measures."
The NCPE said it would continue to support and promote initiatives undertaken by the government to combat discrimination on the grounds of race, although it added that "more work was needed in this regard, particularly in challenging mentalities that disregarded the human dignity of every person, as well as the fundamental human rights of all individuals."
Reminding that these rights include the right to life and to be safeguarded against all threats, the commission encouraged the Government to take positive measures to counter expressions of racial hatred that manifested themselves, particularly on blogs and online newspapers.
Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.
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No Maltese want migrants to drown,but we accept no eu hypocrites who designed Dublin two with the intention of leaving migrants arriving in malta stranded here for ever. This is the problem, but the Maltese academics who got their phd from our monies b,Gherf taghhom jaraw biss seal ponta Ta imnihirhom.
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The strange thing is that Labourites are more racist sometimes. You see the hypocrisy and ignorance of left-wingers. No wonder that Labourites are less educated and less university educated according to surveys.
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naf li ha inkun estrem imma tista tigri sfortunatament din is sitwazjoni li ha nesponi.dawn l emigrant huma espostighal mard terribli u perikolus hafna .issa kif perezempju ha nafrontaw kas bhal tal virus ebola li hu meqjus l iktarv virus perikolus fi dinja infettijf immens u li jistermijna persuna wara jumejn
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The NCPE is just a complacent resonance box for the government which finances its activities. Where was the NCPE during all these years when racist discrimination and xenophobic hate crimes were inflicted to people around Malta and even publicized in the local media?
How on earth can all those organizations convincingly defend their commitment to fight racism and discrimination when their staff ranks rarely include any truly representative of communities that are the primary targets of racism and discrimination?
While the intentions and initiatives to combat racism and discrimination must be commended and actively supported, the paternalistic approach whereby projects are conceived FOR BUT WITHOUT the involvement of the concerned people must be seriously reconsidered.
Otherwise such projects by NGOs and other organizations will continue to be viewed as just another channel to siphon EU funds and undermine their otherwise well-meaning objectives.
It is the most pathetic of situations that political opportunism should hijack these human tragedies as immigration is not a new phenomenon. But I guess that wherever votes can be won or lost, any thing goes!
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The right to life and safety for all, I assume would include Maltese citizens. These people (Illegal immigrants) have had many rivers to cross. Shouting over the man warning that this little bridge is about to collapse, rather than heeding and helping by amplifying his warning; is simply exacerbating and actually compounding this human tragedy. Malta cannot solve the reason these people wish to flee their own roots, but it cannot be left alone and ignored, to place the weight behind the gate when hundreds, thousands more, are on the road. The NCPE’s efforts would be better employed at lobbying for a solution as to why these people wish to leave their own country.
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The right to life and safety for all, I assume would include Maltese citizens. These people (Illegal immigrants) have had many rivers to cross. Shouting over the man warning that this little bridge is about to collapse, rather than heeding and helping by amplifying his warning; is simply exacerbating and actually compounding this human tragedy. Malta cannot solve the reason these people wish to flee their own roots, but it cannot be left alone and ignored, to place the weight behind the gate when hundreds, thousands more, are on the road. The NCPE’s efforts would be better employed at lobbying for a solution as to why these people wish to leave their own country.
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I have enjoyed the fruits of labour of countless Erithreans and lately Malis for the last 9 years and can show wonders accomplished by them. Lately I have been inundated with overseas calls from Italy from former malta based illegal immigrants asking for work because Altough Italy is a beautiful country there is no work for them there.Maltese payment terms are often equal when not over current malta rates. We are not racists, just pragmatic and our first interests are towards our country unlike PN MEPs.mark cassar.
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Veru IPOKRITI. Issa irrduhom Malta lil Africani u hadd mu qed jighid li ser insiru musulmani. Veru IPOKRITI nerga nghid. Shame
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This Commission calls itself Equality - this Commission should in the first place verify whether all EU countries are treated equally as regards this issue - and what is its comment about equal burden sharing??? This Commission should treat Equality in all aspects, mhux fejn jaqbel lilha biss!
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International law is discriminatory if it allows rich powerful countries like the USA to adopt a ‘wet foot, dry foot’ policy and prohibits small vulnerable islands from doing the same.
http://www.ibtimes.com/cuba-travel-restrictions-lifted-us-wet-foot-dry-foot-policies-remain-same-1013514#
When does the use of criminals to attempt illegal entry into a sovereign state become legal?
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Ara veru qedin sew f'dan il-pajjiz tal-Qamel. L-NCPE tohrog favor l-emigrant illegali (u sew taghmel) imam meta ktibtila jien fuq diskriminazzjoni politika, Alla ibierek dejjem din qalet li ma ghandix x'taqsam, tghid ghaliex jien Malti, laburist u konna that il-Hakma ta Il-Kbir Edward Fenech Adami u Lawrence Gonzi. Mela il-Gustizzja u d-drittijiet Humani ghal min trid u itnhom. Ara veru pajjiz ta l-ippokriti. Jien wiehed li naghti fuq li naghti ghal dawn il-nies meta jigbru, imma issa niddubita jekk nohrog on euro cent iehor, sakemm iddumu tinqdew b'dawn in-nies Umani bhali.
