AD seek to challenge ‘patriots’ in immigration debate

Alternattiva Demokratika have invited the self-proclaimed ‘Ghaqda Patrijotti Maltin’ (Organisation of Maltese Patriots) to a one-on-one debate on immigration to Europe.

“We disagree with many of the group’s arguments, consider some of them to be racist, and others bordering on disrespect to human rights,” AD chairperson Arnold Cassola told MaltaToday. “However, rather than pretending that their opinions don’t exist, we want to expose their stupid arguments in front of a wide audience and counter them with rational ones.” 

The organisation’s president Alex Pisani said on Facebook that he has accepted their invitation, thanking the green party for being the first political party to have invited the group to express their opinions. 

“Doors are opening,” he wrote. “Despite the fact that AD don’t agree with us over this issue, they were democratic and realistic and invited us to express our opinions.”

The debate, which will take place on 6 July, has been organised by the youth section of AD as part of a week-long seminar on youth advocacy in migration. The patriots’ representative will go up against former AD social policy spokesperson Robert Callus. It will be moderated by former Times of Malta journalist Mark Micallef, now editor of the new website MigrantReport.

The ‘Patriots’ have organised two protests in Valletta against irregular immigration and have gathered signatures calling for a referendum on whether migrants should be integrated into Maltese society.