Lassine Cisse, a man from Ivory Coast, an asylum seeker was killed by gun shots from a car. The man "came across his death" as he was peacefully walking by the side of the road. Someone, (the police is searching ) has decided that such walk was unlawful, the killer had decided that death penalty was the punishment for such a peaceful behavior.
African immigrants in Malta have reported over the years the various abuses that they suffer due to their skin color and the negative connotation carried by the word "migrant".
Abuses at work, exploitation from unscrupulous jobs providers, denial of decent housing, denial to the banking services, poor reception at the hospital and in any public service in general, denial of the social security while they pay taxes, denial of family reunification, stigmatizing rhetoric by unscrupulous politicians seeking votes, uninhibited and generalized hate speech on social media and in some news outlets..the list can be longer.
Below are some comments from African migrants in Malta:
"They hate us, but they steal our money" said Jusy ( not real name), a woman from Ghana who was robbed by her Maltese business partner.
"All the jobs that we are offered are undignified. We don't have choice, but accept, we have family and we have to provide for them." said Andrew ( not real name) a man from Nigeria.
"They deny us access to the signature that allows us to receive the meager monthly fee allocated for our subsistence. The supervisor says we must clean our premises before signing. We clean, they are clean, but nonetheless, we are deny access to the signature. Nothing makes sense here, nothing."
An asylum seeker leaving in Hal Far open center.
"Sometimes you arrange a hourly payment, but when you have finished working, he gives you half of what was arranged, they are so dishonest."
A man working in construction.
" We ask our leaders in Africa to build our economy, if we were good in our land, we wouldn't be here"
An asylum seeker form Ghana.
Comments by Maltese Officials:
" It is difficult to understand what an asylum seeker go through, until you visit a refugee camp. It is a shame that today in Europe, we still have concentration camps, because that is what refugee camps are. Europe should be ashamed of itself"
Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, former Maltese President
"If you don't want more foreigners, say goodbye to pensions, you cannot sherry pick your economy policies. If you want to enjoy the meat, you need to take the bone too."
Joseph Muscat, Maltese Prime Minister
What is going on here
Some people have reached the level below zero in terms of humanity. This recalls the Ku Klux Klan, the slavery period in America.
Never will it be lawful to shoot at innocent black person walking peacefully by the side of the road.
Never will it be lawful to create fear in black people because of a supremacist folly.
Never freedom of movement of ALL people leaving on an earth, that belongs to ALL will stop.
Is it even necessary to say it: BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Is it even necessary to say it: Migration is a human right, irregular or not.
Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
Now let some politicians claim responsibility for this. Let them be courageous enough to say: "we created these shooting monsters, we are so avid to gain votes that we underestimated the dangerous power of our irresponsible words, we deserve to go to prison."
May those who are killed by these politicians rest in peace.