Are Refugees Human? -- Ir-Rifuġjati Umani?

Are Refugees Human?

Last week saw an ugly piece of news. It didn't originate from Australia, where we believe we're stopping a huge invasion of refugees. It came from our land of origin - Malta, and the surrounding countries.

It's been reported that a twenty metre boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, in the waters between Lampedusa, Malta and Libya, with 700 people on board. It's also reported that only 28 survived.

Although this is a big and sorrowful tragedy, don't for a moment think it's unique. It's been calculated that last year, 3500 refugees drowned while attempting the crossing from Africa to Europe1. Also don't conclude that this always happens due to the bad weather that often plagues the Mediterranean. Last year, one incident of 300 people drowning was caused by the people smugglers scuttling a boat on purpose as the passengers were refusing to disembark onto a smaller boat.

These are sickening stories. One wouldn't want to hear similar stories about animals, let alone humans.

My astonishment increases and multiples when I read the political commentary on the situation. And for once, I'm not referring to party politics, but country politics of the country members of the European Union.

Last year, there was an operation in the international waters of the Mediterranean Sea, called Mare Nostrum. This has been reported to have saved 140,000 people over a year2. After some comments by some EU countries that it was too expensive, this was changed to a smaller operation called Triton, that only operates up to 30 nautical miles from the Italian coast.

The Maltese prime minister, Joseph Muscat, has warned that Europe and the world may be judged harshly if nothing is done and those who are comfortable close their eyes to such tragedies3. I do feel that these words may be truly prophetic.

Those that have the suffering and danger experienced by refugees at heart have been calling for the Mare Nostrum operation to start again. Now with this simultaneous death of 700 last week, these calls can only grow.

However I would ask, is this enough? Is saving people from drowning sufficient? Will it suffice to fight the people traffickers? Is it enough to stop desperate people from embarking upon sea vessels falling to pieces?

What will happen to those to arrive at the coast, fleeing conflicts, fighting, persecution, hunger? What will happen from those who are terrified of ISIS? Shall we tell the Libyan people to build new camps along the Libyan coast, with this country being splintered, a failed stated that hasn't recovered from the anti-Gaddafi revolution, where the legitimate government is not even strong enough to operate from the capital Tripoli?

And will these camps continue to grow without bound, until the conflicts and persecutions stop? This is just absurd.

I think it's necessary to kill two birds with one stone. Apart from the increase of force in the Mediterranean that is ready to save people in an emergency, there needs to be preventive measures as well.

Countries of the EU, together with other countries of good faith, need to accept a substantial number of refugees from Africa, each country according to their means. The number needs to be substantial enough to tempt those who are desperate on the Libyan coast that there would be hope for them if they stay at properly equipped and secured camps, apply and wait there, rather than attempting the sea crossing at great risk.

It cannot be accepted that countries in the north of Europe, which are amongst the richest in the world, act as if this problem did not exist.

I'm one of those that believed in the European project, that was started in 1951 by six countries after the Second World War as the European Steel and Coal Community, then the European Economic Community in 1958 and the European Union in 1993.

Article number two of the EU Treaty speaks about solidarity. I would ask, where is this solidarity? It's evident to me that the countries that are bearing the brunt of this huge wave of refugees, primary examples being Malta and Italy, are being left alone to deal with them, by the other countries of the EU and other rich countries around the world.

Shame on those who only pretend to believe in this principle!

Ir-Rifuġjati Umani?

Il-ġimgħa l-oħra kien hemm aħbar kerha ħafna. Ma kinetx ġejja mill-Awstralja, fejn nemmnu li qed inwaqqfu xi invażjoni kbira ta' rifuġjati. Kienet ġejja minn art twelidna - Malta, u l-pajjiżi ta' madwar.

Huwa rrappurtat li dgħajsa twila għoxrin metru nqalbet fil-Baħar Mediterran, fil-baħar ta' bejn Lampedusa, Malta u l-Libja, b'700 ruħ abbord. Huwa rrappurtat li biss 28 salvaw.

Għalkemm din hija traġedja kbira u tal-biki, ara biss taħsbu li din hi xi ħaġa unika. Huwa kkalkulat li s-sena l-oħra, 3500 rifuġjat għerqu waqt li kienu qed jippruvaw jaqsmu mill-Afrika għall-Ewropa1. Ukoll taħsbux li dan huwa dejjem riżultat tal-maltemp li sikwit jaħkem lill-Mediterran. Is-sena l-oħra, għarqa ta' tliet mija kienet ikkawżata mill-kuntrabandisti tan-nies jgħarrqu dgħajsa apposta għax in-nies ta' fuqha rrifjutaw li jiżbarkaw għal fuq dgħajsa iżgħar.

Dawn huma stejjer li jqallbulek l-istonku. Lanqas tkun trid tismagħhom fuq annimali, aħseb u ara fuq il-bnedmin.

Jien l-iskantament tiegħi jkompli, u jitkattar, meta naqra l-kummentarju politiku fuq din is-sitwazzjoni. U għal darba, m'inix nirreferi għall-politika tal-partiti, imma l-politika tal-pajjiżi tal-Unjoni Ewropeja.

Is-sena l-oħra, kien hemm operazzjoni fil-Baħar Mediterran f'ibħra internazzjonali, imsemmija Mare Nostrum. Dan huwa rrappurtat li salvat 140,000 ruħ fi żmien sena2. Wara xi kummenti minn pajjiżi tal-UE li kien qed iqum wisq flus, din ġiet mibdula b'operazzjoni iżgħar imsejjħa Triton, li topera biss sa 30 mil nawtiku mill-kosta Taljana.

Il-Prim Ministru Malti, Joseph Muscat, wissa li d-dinja u l-Ewropa għad ikunu ġġudikati ħażin ħafna jekk ma jsir xejn u dawk li huma komdi jgħalqu l-għajnejhom lejn traġedji bħal dawn3. Jien inħoss li dawn il-kliem għandhom mnejn ikunu profetiċi.

Dawk li għandhom għal qalbhom it-tbatija u l-periklu li jgħaddu minnu r-rifuġjati, ilhom jgħajtu għal Mare Nostrum biex jerġa jibda' jopera. Issa bil-mewt ta' dawn is-700 ruħ tal-ġimgħa l-oħra, l-għajta biex dan iseħħ jista' biss jikber.

Imma jien nistaqsi, daqshekk biżżejjed? Li nsalvaw lin-nies mill-għarqa biżżejjed? Li niġġieldu lit-traffikanti tan-nies biżżejjed? Li nwaqqfu li n-nies iddisprati milli jirkbu fuq bastimenti jaqgħu biċċiet biżżejjed?

X'se jsir minn-nies li jaslu sal-kosta, li qed jaħarbu mill-kunflitti, mill-ġlied, mill-persekuzzjoni, mill-ġuħ? X'se jsir minn min huwa mwerwer mill-ISIS? Se ngħidu lill-Libjani jibnu kampijiet ġodda fil-kosta tal-Libja, li bħalissa huwa biss pajjiż imfarrak, pajjiż fallut fejn għadu ma rkuprax mir-rivoluzzjoni kontra Gaddafi, fejn il-gvern leġittimu lanqas m'għandu saħħa jaħdem mill-kapitali Tripli?

U dawn il-kampijiet se jibqgħu jikbru mingħajr tmiem, sakemm il-kunflitti u l-persekuzzjonijiet jieqfu? Dan huwa biss assurd.

Jien inħoss li hemm bżonn li noqtlu żewġ għasafar b'ġebla waħda. Apparti ż-żieda ta' forza fil-Mediterran li tkun lesta li toffri salvataġġ f'emerġenza, hemm bżonn ta' miżura ta' prevenzjoni.

Hemm bżonn li l-pajjiżi tal-UE, flimkien ma pajjiżi oħra ta' rieda tajba, li jiddeċiedu li jaċċettaw numru mdaqqas rifuġjati ġejjin mill-Afrika, kull pajjiż skont il-mezzi tiegħu. Dan in-numru jrid ikun imdaqqas biżżejjed ħalli jħajjar lil dawk li huma ddisprati fil-kosta tal-Libja li hemm tama għalihom jekk imorru f'kampijiet mgħammra u fis-sigurtà garantita, japplikaw u jistennew hemmhekk, minflok ifittxu li jaqsmu l-baħar b'periklu kbir għal ħajjithom.

Ma jistax ikun li l-pajjiżi tat-tramuntana tal-Ewropa, li huma fost l-iktar għonja fid-dinja, jaġixxu qishom din il-problem ma teżistix.

Jien wieħed minn dawk li emmint fil-proġett Ewropew, li nibet fl-1951 minn sitt pajjiżi wara t-Tieni Gwerra Dinjija bħala l-Komunità Ewropeja għall-Faħam u l-Azzar, wara saret il-Komunità Ekonomika Ewropeja fl-1958 u l-Unjoni Ewropeja fl-1993.

L-Artiklu numru tnejn tat-Trattat tal-Unjoni Ewropeja jitkellem fuq is-solidarjetà. Jien nistaqsi, fejn hi din is-solidarjetà? Hu evidenti għalija li l-pajjiżi li qed iġarrbu din il-mewġa qawwija ta' rifuġjati, ewlenin fosthom Malta u l-Italja, qed jitħallew waħedhom mil-pajjiżi l-oħra tal-UE, u pajjiżi għonja oħra madwar id-dinja, biex jaffrontawhom.

Għajb għal min jagħmel biss tabirruħu li jemmen f'dan il-prinċipju!

1http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32376082, retrieved 20/4/2015

2http://ecre.org/component/content/article/70-weekly-bulletin-articles/855-operation-mare-nostrum-to-end-frontex-triton-operation-will-not-ensure-rescue-at-sea-of-migrants-in-international-waters.html, retrieved 20/4/2015

3http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150420/local/migrants-boat-may-have-been-carrying-900-some-locked-in-hold-when-it.564511, retrieved 20.4.2015

Which Political Future after a Criminal Past? -- X'Futur Politiku wara Passat Kriminali?

Which Political Future after a Criminal Past?

 

Last week saw a furore on Queensland, not over yet and probably still has some way to go before dying down, if ever.

 

I'm referring to the case of the Member for Parliament for Cook in Queensland, Billy Gordon, who was elected on behalf of the Labour Party for the first time at the state election of a few weeks back.  It was revealed that Mr Gordon, who is aboriginal, has a criminal past, which includes allegations of domestic violence, missed maintenance payments and driving without a license, amongst others.

 

These are all serious matters, appearing not to be known by the Labour Party before the election, or at least that's what's being said by the Queensland Premier, Anastacia Palaszczuk.

 

The Premier expelled Mr Gordon from the Labour Party, and seems to be unhappy with the preselection process for candidates at the election.  However Premier Palaszczuk went further.

 

She has publicly asked Mr Gordon to also resign from Parliament.

 

Now wait a minute.  Why?  No one is saying it's illegal for Mr Gordon to be a Member of Parliament in Queensland1.  The criminal cases mentioned happened in the past, and haven't been denied.  Mr Gordon is not serving time or under bail conditions.  So why should he resign from being a Member of Parliament?

 

The Premier is autonomously expecting from Mr Gordon a higher standard of conduct than is requested by law.  What gives her this right?

 

She also said that Mr Gordon doesn't deserve to be a Member of Parliament, and that he doesn't deserve a second chance2.  What a condemnation!  What message is it giving to society?

 

I'll tell you how it can be interpreted:  if you do something wrong, whatever you do, whether you've paid the price, carried out some form of restitution, changed your life - you will never be forgiven.  Nothing will be forgotten, and nothing forgiven.  You can kiss goodbye to reparation, concrete acts of contrition, victim-offender conferences, correctional centres, a positive history after the negative act etc.  These are all irrelevant.

 

It should be clear that we're not discussing a person who currently has criminal procedures currently under way.  That's another matter, and there a person may be considered compromised, although he/she should be considered innocent until proven guilty.  However when the act is in the past, and has been atoned or closed, why should this be considered current?

 

Are we saying that those with a criminal past, don't have anything to offer politics?  In cases like these, Manwel Dimech straight away springs to my mind.  This Maltese person was born in poverty and died in exile, living between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.  The had a substantial criminal history, including murder, and entered prison ten times.  He was clearly no angel.

 

However after this ugly phase of his life, he changed his life around completely, and apart from becoming a languages educator, he also had a part in the social and political story of the country, by fighting for justice, for workers, for women's rights and against abuses by the powerful in society.  He had nothing at all to offer politics - indeed!

 

Perhaps in parliament, only completely unblemished angels should be able to represent us!

 

Observers of Queensland's political scene are saying that this activity has its roots also in politics.  In fact, Queensland's Liberal opposition may be seeing this incident as an opportunity to get out of the extraordinary disaster they suffered in the past election.  Not only are they agreeing with the position of the Premier that Mr Gordon should leave parliament, but are doing everything to throw some mud at her too.

 

What Mr Gordon has done, has been done, however time will tell whether what has been revealed and when, at the end of the day will be seen as being started as a bit of political vengeance3.

 

The Premier declared she doesn't want to accept a vote in Parliament from Mr Gordon, who though is no longer with the Labour Party, is expected to keep his leftist convictions in parliament.  One can only imagine the Opposition crying foul, if this happens, that someone whose done a number of mistakes in the past should vote against them, and I understand this is the reason the Premier doesn't want him in Parliament come what may.

 

I don't care about partisan politics, and the shady manoeuvring to obtain power, however I do care about politics and the principles on which it is based.  The actions of the major parties there shows that in their craving for power, they don't care less about causing much despair to those who have made ugly mistakes in their lives and wish to change, who already find it difficult to get out of cycles of violence, theft, alcohol, abuse etc that many times would have grown up surrounded by.

 

The message to them is: it's futile trying.  We will never forgive you.  The message to society is: these people should not be trusted, no matter how long ago the event occurred, even if today they're changed persons.

 

It's remarkable who we're electing to represent us in parliament.  And I'm not referring to Mr Gordon.

 

 

 

X'Futur Politiku wara Passat Kriminali?

 

Il-ġimgħa li għaddiet, qam furur f'Queensland, li għadu ma battiex, u naħseb li baqagħlu sew biex ibatti, jekk qatt.

 

Qed nirreferi għall-każ tal-Membru Parlamentari ta' Queensland għal Cook, Billy Gordon, li tela' għall-ewwel darba f'isem il-Partit Laburista fl-elezzjoni statali ta' ftit ġimgħat ilu.  Ġie żvelat li s-Sur Gordon, li huwa aboriġenu, għandu passat kriminali, li jinkludi allegazzjonijiet ta' vjolenza domestika, nuqqas ta' ħlas ta' manteniment u sewqan mingħajr liċenzja, fost l-oħrajn.

 

Dawn huma kollha ħwejjeġ koroh u serji, u jidher li dawn ma kinux magħrufa mill-Partit Laburista qabel l-elezzjoni, jew talinqas hekk qed tgħid il-Premier ta' Queensland, Annastacia Palaszczuk.

 

Il-Premier keċċiet lis-Sur Gordon mill-Partit Laburista, u tidher li li mhix kuntenta bil-proċess tal-għażla tal-kandidati għall-elezzjoni.  Però il-Premier Palaszczuk marret iktar lil hinn minn hekk.

 

Talbet pubblikament lis-Sur Gordon biex jirriżenja wkoll mill-Parlament.

 

Issa stenna ftit.  Għaliex dan?  Ħadd mhu qed jgħid li huwa illegali għas-Sur Gordon li jkun Membru tal-Parlament ta' Queensland1.  Il-każijiet kriminali msemmija saru fil-passat, u mhumiex miċħuda.  Is-Sur Gordon mhux qed jiskonta piena jew qiegħed taħt liberta' proviżorja.  Allura għalfejn għandu jirriżenja minn Membru tal-Parlament?

 

Il-Premier qegħda awtonomament titlob livell ta' imġieba għola mis-Sur Gordon milli titlob il-liġi.  B'liema dritt tagħmel dan?

 

Qalet ukoll li s-Sur Gordon ma jistħoqqlux ikun Membru tal-Parlament, u li ma ħaqqux it-tieni ċans2.  X'kundanna!  Dan x'messaġġ qed jagħti lill-membri tas-soċjetà?

 

Ħa ngħidilkom kif jista' jiġi nterpretat: li jekk tagħmel xi ħaġa ħażina, tagħmel x'tagħmel, kemm jekk ħallastx għaliha, kemm jekk tagħmel xi forma ta' restituzzjoni, kemm jekk tibdel ħajtek - ma tinħafer qatt.  Ma jintnesa xejn, u ma jinħafer xejn.  Addio riparazzjoni, azzjonijiet konkreti bħala ndiema, konferenzi ta' aggressuri mal-vittmi tagħhom, centri ta' korrezzjoni, storja stabbilita ta' ħajja pożittiva wara l-fatt negattiv eċċ.  Ma jgħodd xejn!

 

Hawnhekk mhux qed nitkellmu fuq persuna li jkollha proċeduri kriminali għaddejjin preżentement.  Dik hija ħaġa oħra, u hemmhekk il-persuna tkun meqjusa kompromessa, għalkemm trid tiġi kkunsidrata innoċenti sakemm misjuba ħatja.  Imma meta l-aġir ikun sar fil-passat, u jkun ħallas għaliha jew tkun ingħalqet, għalfejn titqies li għadha kurrenti?

 

Qed ngħidu li min għandu passat kriminali, m'għandux x'joffri lill-politika?  F'każijiet bħal dawn, mallewwel jiġini f'rasi lil Manwel Dimech, Malti li twieled fil-faqar u miet fl-eżilju, li għex bejn is-sekli dsatax u għoxrin.  Dan kellu passat kriminali sostanzjali, inkluż ta' qtil, u daħal il-ħabs għaxar darbiet.  Żgur ma kienx jitqies anġlu.

 

Iżda wara din il-fażi kerha ħafna, dawwar ħajtu kompletament, u apparti li sar edukatur tal-lingwi kellu sehem fil-ħajja soċjali u politika ta' Malta, fejn iġġieled għall-ġustizzja, għall-ħaddiema, għad-drittijiet tan-nisa, u kontra l-abbużi ta' min hu qawwi fis-soċjeta.  Dażgur li ma kellux x'joffri lill-politika!

 

Forsi fil-parlament, anġli biss għandhom jirrappreżentawna, kulħadd b'sebgħu dritt riga!

 

Osservaturi tax-xena politika ta' Queensland qed jgħidu li dan l-aġir għandu għerq politiku.  Fil-fatt, l-Oppożizzjoni Liberali ta' Queensland, jidher li qegħda tara f'dan l-inċident opportunità li toħroġ mid-disfatta straordinarja li kellha fl-elezzjoni li għadda.  Mhux biss qed taqbel mal-pożizzjoni tal-Premier li s-Sur Gordon jitlaq mill-parlament, imma qed tagħmel minn kollox biex tħammeġ lilha wkoll kemm jista' jkun.

 

Dak li għamel is-Sur Gordon, għamlu, imma iż-żmien jagħtina parir jekk dak li ġie żvelat u meta, fl-aħħar mill-aħħar jirriżultax li ġie mibdi bħala vendetta politika3.

 

Il-Premier stqarret li ma tridx taċċetta vot fil-Parlament mingħand is-Sur Gordon, li għalkemm m'għadux fil-Partit Laburista, ikun mistenni li jżomm ix-xejriet xellugin tiegħu fil-parlament. Wieħed jista' jimmaġina lill-Oppożizzjoni tgħajjat x'skandlu dan, jekk iseħħ, li persuna li għamel numru ta' żbalji fil-passat f'ħajtu jivvota kontrihom, u nihem li din hi r-raġuni għaliex il-Premier ma tridux fil-Parlament akkost ta' kollox.

 

Jien ma jimpurtanix mill-politika partiġġjana, u l-manuvri biex jiġi akkwistat il-poter, iżda jimpurtani ħafna mill-politika u l-prinċipji li fuqhom huwa bbażat.  L-aġir tal-partiti l-kbar hemmhekk juri li fil-kilba tagħhom għall-poter, ma jimpurtahom xejn li jaqtgħu qalb dawk in-nies li  għamlu żbalji koroh f'ħajjithom u jixtiequ jinbidlu, li diġà jsibuha diffiċli biex jinqatgħu minn ċikli ta' vjolenza, serq, xorb, abbuż eċċ, li ħafna drabi jkunu trawmu fih minn ċkunithom.

 

Il-messaġġ lilhom hu: inutli tippruvaw.  Aħna mhu se naħfrulkom qatt.  U l-messaġġ lill-poplu hu: dawn in-nies mhumiex ta' min jafdahom, ilhom kemm ilhom li għamlu li għamlu, u anke jekk illum huma nies mibdula.

 

Ara 'l min qed intellgħu fil-parlament biex jitkellmu f'isimna.  U m'inix nirreferi għas-Sur Gordon.

1http://theconversation.com/billy-gordons-past-shouldnt-end-the-queensland-government-39487, retrieved 7/4/2015

2http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-labor-government-in-crisis-as-mp-admits-to-criminal-past/story-fnihsrf2-1227283072295, retrieved 7/4/2015

3http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/apr/03/billy-gordon-allegations-the-latest-twist-in-long-queensland-political-rivalry, retrieved 7/4/2015

1http://theconversation.com/billy-gordons-past-shouldnt-end-the-queensland-government-39487, retrieved 7/4/2015

2http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-labor-government-in-crisis-as-mp-admits-to-criminal-past/story-fnihsrf2-1227283072295, retrieved 7/4/2015

3http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/apr/03/billy-gordon-allegations-the-latest-twist-in-long-queensland-political-rivalry, retrieved 7/4/2015