This column first appeared in Malta Today

Last weekend, 35 people were arrested who were found to be living and working in Malta illegally, following inspections which are being carried out on a regular basis. 

These inspections were carried out on the public transport service, public places in Marsa as well as at night at certain establishments in Paceville. 

The people who were detained are all Third Country Nationals (TCNs) and come from Syria, Afghanistan, Ghana, Brazil, Mali, Nepal, Pakistan, Nigeria, Niger, Gambia, Sudan and the Ivory Coast. According to the news report they will be deported, either to their country of origin or to the country where they held residence before making their way to Malta. 

These inspections by the Agency for Detention Services always end up with people being arrested; I have never read a report saying they came up empty-handed and that everyone they checked was in the country legally.  The conclusion, then, is obvious that this is the tip of the iceberg and that these periodic checks are simply lifting the lid on an endemic problem. Frankly, sometimes they just come across as cheap publicity stunts to keep the resentful part of the population quiet, to give the illusion that the government has a handle on this issue.  But, in reality, this rounding up of people who have been caught breaking the law simply raises more questions which no one ever answers.

For example, how do the authorities know exactly where to focus their inspections?  Judging from the arrests which always make the news,  it seems relatively easy to locate the places where people are working illegally – so is it a case of closing a blind eye to what is going on until it is time to make a very public display of a substantial number of people as the powers that be pounce on them in one fell swoop? The man who was on a bus and was arrested by officials as he got off is a particularly questionable example. Were they questioning everyone who is of a different race about their residency permit or did they just happen to pick on the one person who was illegal? 

The biggest question is, why isn’t justice just as swift and harsh against those who are exploiting these immigrants? Even if it is not directly culpable, a company should be held accountable for who it is employing, but it’s baffling how no mention is ever made of any legal action being taken against employers. The same goes for landlords who are renting out properties to people who do not have residency permits.  The housing authority requires every registered contract to be accompanied by resident cards so obviously none of these rentals are registered. Someone is employing them, someone is giving them a place to live and yet we hear nothing about this end of the racket which is the actual source of the crime.  

So first we, as a country, let too many immigrants slip through the net without proper documentation (because it suits those looking for cheap labour) and then we make a show of them when they have the misfortune to be caught.  If it wants to do the country a great service, the Agency for Detention Services should start fining and punishing the real culprits in all this.

Slow down, you’re moving too fast

The tragic story of the young mother who was crushed to death by her own car on Thursday afternoon should serve as a wake up call to all of us.  From initial reports it seems she got out of the car without pulling up the hand brake, and the car which was on a downward slope, rolled backwards on top of her, killing her instantly.  Her six-year-old daughter was in the car and was unharmed.

It was a shocking, sobering accident which should make us all stop in our tracks as we rush around madly, from one place to the other, trying to juggle everything, in a breathless rush.  I see it all the time around me, especially women with children, who try to handle too much, usually out of necessity because they do not have enough help. But, if they are not going to do it, they tell you, no one else will.  So they dash out first thing in the morning and basically do not stop their whirlwind lifestyle until they come back home in the evening, exhausted and worn out, until the next day when they have to do it all over again. In between, they ferry children to school and their various activities, sometimes picking them up and dropping them off at various households and generally leading a madcap life in a race against the clock.

I know it is easy for me to talk because I am not in their shoes, but my only humble advice would be to stop trying to do it all. If you have ten items on your to do list, slash it in half – just do what you can, the rest which is not crucial, can wait.  If you are not coping with all your children’s after school activities, consider which is the most convenient for you and only sign them up for that.  Cut down on your driving time when possible: our roads are not only stress-inducing because of the traffic, they are potential accidents waiting to happen at every turn as everyone is in as much of a hurry as you are.  

In fact, I would hazard to say that if we had to factor in the cause of so many traffic accidents it would be precisely because we are all trying to get somewhere as fast as possible without allowing enough time to get there.  Sometimes it’s a matter of not leaving home early enough, and sometimes it is simply not wanting to admit that we won’t make it to that next appointment after all and not wanting to cancel.  I think we were so used to being able to do five things in one day on this small island, where getting from one end to the other took you no longer than 30 – 45 minutes the most, that our brains have not yet been rewired to allow for any delays.  Now, not only are delays a possibility, but they are a definite probability which you need to include when you are planning your day.   

We are fast reaching the point where our constant rushing around is having a detrimental effect on our health. There has been a rise in stress-related illness, burnout and anxiety, and now to this we have to add the risk of a terrible accident.  We need to slow down, we’re moving too fast and in the end, it will get us nowhere.