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James Debono
Labour leader Alfred Sant has declared the national interest comes before anything else, even human rights, when asked by MaltaToday whether a future Labour government would honour United Nations conventions protecting irregular migrants from automatic repatriation.
Sant said that “although human rights are important, ultimately the national interest should prevail over any other consideration,” adding that the governments of France and Italy always gave priority to the national interest and Malta should do likewise.
Alfred Sant appears to be in full agreement with deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg, as well as parliamentary secretary Tony Abela, two ministers who have threatened to take unilateral action on the immigration issue.
Borg himself told the Financial Times, government would consider shirking its international obligations.
So far the government has not matched its words with action and its pleas for more help from the European Union have so far gone unanswered except for an offer by the Dutch government to allow a limited number of refugees in Malta to be transferred to the Netherlands. In an interview with Super One journalist Miriam Dalli on Sunday, Alfred Sant declared that in the absence of material support from Libya and the EU, a future Labour government will take the necessary actions without depending on others.
Sant reiterated this declaration yesterday.
“While keeping in mind the suffering of immigrants, our first interest will be safeguarding the interests of Maltese and Gozitans.”
Pressed by MaltaToday, Alfred Sant refused to elaborate on which unilateral measures would be taken by a future Labour government.
Specifically asked whether he was referring to forced repatriation of immigrants without any due screening process to ensure that nobody is sent back to countries which do not respect human rights, Alfred Sant simply insisted that a Labour government will defend the national interest.
Challenged on whether the MLP was also fomenting xenophobia after secretary-general Jason Micallef claimed that “charity begins at home” on the immigration issue in comments on Super One radio, Alfred Sant reversed the argument saying racism was increasing because of the immigration crisis and the fact that government is not defending the national interest.
“In the absence of help from other countries, the crisis is bound to increase and if the Maltese government refrains from addressing this crisis by defending the national interest, fascism and racism will continue growing.”
Asked whether he was offering a sense of leadership to counter the prevailing wave of xenophobia, Alfred Sant insisted that he offered a sense of leadership when he was the first to call for a national conference on immigration.
jdebono@newsworksltd.com
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