[WATCH] Malta ‘ħanina’? Abela pressed on Dismark deportation, Gaza photo op, and Loujin death

[WATCH] Malta ‘ħanina’? Abela pressed on Dismark deportation, Gaza photo op, and Loujin death

Prime Minister Robert Abela stated that if Malta does not repatriate migrants who are not eligible for asylum, the country would open its doors to irregular immigration, noting that Malta’s size, “doesn’t permit this.”

Abela was fielding questions on Friday after Kusi Dismark, the Ħamrun barber who was detained a fortnight ago after 13 years living in Malta, was deported. He was detained while working at his Ħamrun barbershop with authorities telling him he was subject to a removal order since 2011.

Responding to MaltaToday’s questions, Abela first insisted that Kusi was not deported, but “left voluntarily.” When asked whether Kusi’s deportation was just after he had integrated into the local community, Abela said that there are many others with a similar story. 

Abela explained that everyone who comes to Malta irregularly has a humanitarian story and that applying repatriation policies is not an easy decision. However, he noted that if this does not happen, Malta would open its doors to irregular migration, as he added that the country’s size does not permit this.

The Prime Minister stated that Malta “always saved lives” and that all those who lived in Malta, “were treated with dignity and respect.” Despite this statement, news of the exploitation of foreign and migrant workers is not rare, and neither are xenophobic and racist episodes. Most notably, Lassana Cisse Souleymane was killed in a drive-by shooting allegedly carried out by AFM soldiers in 2019.

MaltaToday pressed Abela on the fact that Kusi’s removal order dated back to 2011, to which Abela responded that Kusi’s deportation should have happened long ago. Despite this, he assured the media that the authorities were not sitting idly.

'No contrast' between Israeli airstrike survivor and girl who died in Malta's SAR

The Prime Minister was further pressed on the statement he made when he told the media that Malta “always saved lives,” as reference was made to Loujin Ahmed Nasif, the four-year-old Syrian refugee that died of thirst at sea in Malta’s search and rescue zone in 2022.

Abela stated that this was not the responsibility of Maltese authorities. The media noted the contrast between Loujin’s death and the arrival of a three-year-old survivor of an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, who came to Malta this week for treatment. The little girl, Selah was greeted by the Prime Minister himself at the Malta International Airport, as other photo opportunities with the girl followed throughout the week.

Abela said that “unlike others,” he does not try to make photo-ops from sensitive events, as he added that there was no contrast between the two events. The Prime Minister noted that Selah will not be the only girl who will come to Malta from Palestine for treatment.

Abela seemingly admitted that Selah’s treatment was not “technically” Malta’s responsibility, similar to what he had said about Loujin.