This column first appeared in Malta Today

If you had to take an unscientific poll about the major concern of the Maltese people I’m pretty sure that “over-population” would come out on top. What most mean by this, of course, are the “barranin” i.e foreigners, or more specifically Third Country Nationals who come here for work.

The concerns are obviously legitimate, and we see the fall out all around us, from sewage pouring into once crystal clear Mediterranean waters to a public transport system which cannot cope with the amount of people using it daily and a national hospital which is likewise groaning under the burden of so many people entitled to healthcare. Everything in our infrastructure is ringing loud alarm bells that we are nearing crisis point, and yet in true schizophrenic fashion, permits are still being issued for more hotels, more restaurants and more apartments, all of which require the very people so many treat with contempt.

It is also evident that the Labour government is keenly aware of this disgruntlement and resentment and seems determined to demonstrate a show of force. Within days of taking office, Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield has been busy going after illegal immigrants who, for all we know, are “illegal” because of cumbersome paperwork and red tape by the authorities. I don’t think many people grasp how easy it is to be rendered illegal when you are not an EU citizen and have to go through a myriad of hoops to live and work here. The question myself and many others keep asking is, why just go after the victims of the system, rather than those who have brought them here and are exploiting them in the first place? To work and to rent accommodation as a TCN you need legitimate paperwork after which you will be granted a Single Work Permit, so anyone employing people without this is equally culpable. Let’s see the footage and photos of employers being handcuffed as they enter their workplace and then perhaps I can believe that the government is serious about getting to the root of this issue.

It is common knowledge that the entry point of many African nationals is from Italy through the Schengen Agreement, which allows passport free travel among EU countries. These people hold residency in Italy and then come here, thinking (or being led to believe) that they can stay here and work. Wrong. They can stay for 90 days out of every 180 days as tourists. After that they become, you guessed it, illegal. Some TCNs manage to stay under the radar for months and even years, by not being on the books and paid “under the table”. They are also renting apartments without the obligatory rental agreement registered with the Housing Authority (which is linked to their Single Work Permit). In both these cases, an employer and a landlord are breaking the law – so how about going after them too Sur Ministru?

The way I see it, by only targeting the illegal immigrants themselves it is like trying to fix a leak by patching a rusty pipe here and there, rather than pulling the old plumbing out so you can get to the root cause of the problem in the first place. It seems more logical to me to turn off the faucet at its source, i.e. the very Maltese people who are enabling and tacitly encouraging this illegal state of affairs through their actions, even as they express complete disdain towards the very people they are exploiting. Bedingfield’s photo ops impress a part of the population who feel he is “doing something about it” but so far they are a mere knee-jerk reaction to public criticism, rather than real solutions.

Waiting for the women to speak up

I see that both Nationalist MP Adrian Delia and the new Speaker Carmelo Abela have revived the proposal for child care in Parliament as a family friendly measure which had been shelved for years. However, I find it fascinating that this had to come from men, rather than the plethora of new female MPs who are now gracing Renzo Piano’s building thanks to the gender corrective mechanism. Why are we being told that handing 12 women a seat they did not earn will make such a huge difference on a national level if they cannot even speak up and advocate for themselves on a matter which will help women who choose to enter politics? It was there, handed to them on a plate, and all any of them had to do was bring it up, and yet they did not.

I’m also patiently waiting for these 12 women to push forward legislation on domestic violence to ensure that it is the perpetrator who should be made to leave the residence rather than the victim. Three years ago, the then Minister for Social Accommodation Roderick Galdes had promised that the government would help victims to find alternative housing and pay up to 80% of the rent. While this was a good measure it certainly does not explain why it is the terrified woman who usually has to grab her children and leave, rendered desperate to find somewhere else to live. Court protection orders do not really count for much either as we have seen in tragic cases over the years which ended up with the woman being murdered.

Just this week a man was arrested after his wife filed a police report, claiming he was trying to control her through surveillance cameras and checking her phone, as well as threatening and harassing her. According to the news report, “A risk assessment carried out with the woman resulted in a score of 21 and was considered severe. Police were called on site after the assessment was carried out. A declaration showing that she had refused shelter was among the documents exhibited in court. The court handed him a one year suspended sentence and placed him under a supervision order, with a probation officer tasked with ensuring his needs are addressed, and ordered him to keep the peace with his wife”.

These details indicate they are still living under the same roof: can you imagine living with someone who is showing the classic escalating signs of an abuser, after you have reported him to the police and have had him arrested, charged and found guilty? The woman was offered shelter, but why wasn’t it the man who was told he had to move out?

When those who have benefitted from the gender mechanism start making a bit of noise about these crucial, often life or death issues which directly affect women, then I will perhaps be convinced that it was a good idea.

What the election numbers tell us

For all its bravado at winning a fourth term, I am sure that Labour insiders sat down with the numbers after the election to analyse what they tell them about the pulse of the nation. They could also have saved themselves some time and looked at the main gripes which pop up repeatedly on social media. There are a few indications that they are paying attention and trying to regain some of their lost footing by addressing issues such as enforcement and the environment.

This week, it was announced that LESA officers would be patrolling the most popular beaches to ensure public order and cleanliness are kept. Between 10am – 6pm, patrolling officers will provide the public with guidance on beach regulations and safety measures while serving as a point of contact for those requiring assistance. While this is a good initiative, I would suggest making it a 24 hour surveillance because our beaches are often the places where a lot happens after 6pm, and I’m not justing talking about barbecues.

Meanwhile the PM has pledged to protect parks and open spaces by granting them absolute protection, ensuring that the land can never be developed.
Whether this will translate into actual action has yet to be seen because we have heard these promises before only for them to fall by the wayside. It also contradicts the bizarre decisions taken on a daily basis by the Planning Authority. A case in point is that of a PA case officer who has recommended the approval of a 46-unit residential development on the edge of Qrendi’s village core, despite more than 1,000 objections warning that the project would overwhelm the locality’s historic and rural character. If 1000 objections do not count for much, what is the point of the Prime Minister’s promises?

What also needs to be tackled is the squandering of public money and lack of accountability. The latest example is a pathway connecting Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, a stretch of just 400 metres, has taken more than two-and-a-half years and is expected to cost taxpayers circa €600,000. How can such careless spending ever be justified when everywhere we look we can think of at least ten sectors where the money would be better spent?

These are the matters which explain why there is such a chunk of disenfranchised voters; people who are not easily impressed by handouts or freebies but simply want a country that functions and politicians who are there to serve us, rather than to fatten their own pockets.