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Academics, Labour intellectuals in support of migrants’ rights NGOs
University academics take issue with Prime Minister’s barbed reference to NGOs in parliament.
Maria Pisani, centre, was the target of online abuse for her role in protesting the pushbacks.
University academics and intellectuals close to the Labour Party have issued a message of support for NGOs supporting migrants' rights, whom Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in parliament warned to "shoulder their responsibility" for a petition to the European Court of Human Rights to stop a pushback to Libya.
Muscat's attempt at a pushback were thwarted by the Strasbourg court in interim measures it issued on an application by two lawyers representing migrant rights' groups, saying 45 Somali migrants scheduled for a forcible repatriation were not allowed to submit their asylum claims.
The ECHR has already ruled that such pushbacks are illegal and breach fundamental human rights.
Among the academics were former Labour candidate Robert Micallef and Dr Carmen Sammut, who heads Labour think-tank Ideat, who issued a joint statement supporting the NGOs who campaigned for the migrants not to be sent back.
"As academics we try to impart to the future professionals of this country a minimum of basic dignity and respect, both towards others and towards self. We could not stand by and watch whilst our country sent Somali migrants who braved possible death in a hazardous journey, to seek safety, to seek a life, back to Libya. We therefore support the NGOs who campaigned for these migrants not to be sent back."
The statement was signed by Marceline Naudi, Anna Borg, Claudia Psaila, Ruth Baldacchinio, Robert Micallef, Edward Warrington, Isabelle Calleja Ragonesi, Sandra Vella, Dione Mifsud, Paul Clough, Brenda Murphy, Prof. Angela Abela, Mary-Ann Borg Cunen, Prof. Ronald Sultana, Prof. Peter Mayo, Prof. Carmel Vassallo, Josann Cutajar, Maria Psiani, Anna Khakee, Carmen Sammut, Adrian Grima, Nathalie Kenely, and Joanne Cassar.
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@joe Ellis. Google Somalia u tara li eu ghandhom raprezentanza go Mogadishu u li travel around Somalia is relatively safe.
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Prosit you really stood up for our country in face of all the racist hatred and their stupid 'Biza mill-barrani' disguised as national interest.
Noel Zahra
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Maltese academics never expressed themselves on any problem in the past. They seem to have been scared. They now seem to have been impressed by an objective government and are finally trying to make a move to create some weak noise. Their opinions hardly make any difference in Maltese society - unlike the academics of other countries. Their intellectual contributions are almost zero. But there is always a start; they may now put up some courage and teach Maltese society what's good for it.(sic)
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@ kukkanja. Embassy in Mogadishu ? You must be joking. There are 1 million Somali refugees in Kenya and the Kenyan government is now thinking of starting their repatriation now that Somalia is stabilizing. But it's a long process and UNHCR have already stated that they will be involved. J. Ellis.
Emmanuel Mallia •
Watch today's news, the US congress is discussing the illegal immigrants, but you stay silent here !
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Maltese academics not sitting on the fence. WOW!!!!!
Paul Sammut •
@kukkanja, Well said. There is not much beef in their action. It's not much different than staying on the side; handing alms to the poor; telling them to pray for a better day. Only concrete strategic action will help them out of their misery.
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I ask these intellectuals why don't they protest against the EU so that its Embassy in Somalia would start processing the immigrants there, provide them with a free flight to a country of their choice? If they open open there, these desperate immigrants would not have to cross the Sahara and the dangerous Med sea to come to Malta. There would have been be no problem if Simon Busutill did not sign the Dublin 2 Treaty which forces immigrants who land on this rock to stay here by force!
Jurgen Cachia •
Well done all!
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Because of its geopolitical location, its constrained size and means, Malta is as much victim as the immigrants themselves and should not play the victim and the hero at the same time.
But Europe is definitely NOT sleeping and there is no coffee to be smelled in the treat of “Mediterranean boat people” pushback which is boomerang political blackmail at best. The EU leaders are no idiots and they surely know very well what they are doing!
Our courageous academics should know that immigration is a disguised south-north digital-age slavery whereby the would-be slaves ultimately pay for their own trip with a dream of return on their investment in the form of better future life for themselves and their offspring and families.
Moreover, the immigration crisis in the Mediterranean and elsewhere reflects the cynicism of the international community that prop up brutal dictators and warlords and fuel conflicts in poverty stricken countries instead of pro-actively promoting peace, security, stability and prosperity as the only credible and sustainable solution to the lucrative human trafficking at its core.
While the spectacular pushback approach may earn some publicity in the immediate terms, it will require a similar pullback policy to cope with the boomerang effect that will surely come back to haunt Malta on the international stage in the longer term.
