![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.islesoftheleft.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/foreigners-collage-1024x679.png\")
<\/h4>\nAlthough they are uniformly referred to as \u201cforeigners\u201d, foreign nationals receive contrasting treatment, depending on their social status and nationality.<\/h4>\nby Raisa Galea<\/a><\/h4>\nCollage: Charlene Galea<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
[dropcap]A[\/dropcap]ccording to a Malta Today survey<\/a>, 15.5% of a total of 501 respondents are concerned about \u2018foreigners living in Malta\u2019 and \u2018illegal immigration\u2019, making issues related to foreigners the second highest concern after traffic.<\/p>\nThe results of the survey lead to more questions than insights. What are the causes for the reported concerns about foreigners living in Malta? Could it be that these concerns respond to gentrification and the unregulated housing market, partially caused by the presence of new customers? Also, do all foreigners belong to the same category and have the equal power to negatively influence Malta\u2019s housing market?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]It is customary for foreign nationals to be labelled as \u2018global citizens\u2019, \u2018expats\u2019, \u2018migrants\u2019 or \u2018refugees\u2019, depending on their economic status or the status of their country of origin.<\/em>[\/perfectpullquote]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
It goes without saying that not all foreigners are the same kettle of fish. It is customary for foreign nationals to be labelled as \u2018global citizens\u2019, \u2018expats\u2019, \u2018migrants\u2019 or \u2018refugees\u2019, depending on their economic status or the status of their country of origin.<\/p>\n
In a nutshell, the terms expat<\/em> and migrant<\/em> echo the profound class and racial inequalities which are still present in the world. Expat<\/em> is usually reserved for individuals from the EU&Co., North America and Australia who left their native country to work in a multinational company or for leisure. Global citizen<\/em> describes the specific, most privileged kind of expat, who sees the world \u201cwithout borders\u201d because they literally do not exist for him. The advantages of his golden passport and the financial assets spare him from the humiliating struggles for the freedom of movement.<\/p>\nA migrant<\/em>, on the other hand, is everyone else who leaves his place of birth in search of a better life. He only aspires to become a global citizen because his opportunities for resettlement are institutionally restricted. Finally, a refugee<\/em> is the most disadvantaged kind of arrival: his resettlement is not driven by the free will but is forced upon him by war, natural disasters and\/or extreme poverty.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]A migrant, on the other hand, is everyone else who leaves his place of birth in search of a better life.<\/em>[\/perfectpullquote]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Global citizens, expats, migrants and refugees do not receive equal treatment. In fact, they are treated accordingly to their status: where a wealthy expat<\/em> is greeted with open arms, a migrant<\/em> finds endless bureaucracy and a refugee<\/em>\u2014a barbed wire.<\/p>\nWhile some expats<\/em> bathe in public attention<\/a>, homeless migrants<\/em> die in poverty<\/a>. Their death is reported in plain and casual manner: four sentences-short articles announced that one migrant<\/a> was found dead under the bridge and the other<\/a>\u2014in a games room at Xatt il-Mollijiet in Marsa. Both Somali men came from afar only to find their lonely death in Malta. They left their native countries hoping for a better life, but poverty did not leave them until the very end.<\/p>\nRefugees<\/em>, especially refugee children, are the most vulnerable group of all foreigners due to the uncertainties of their legal status and severe material deprivation. The absence of a refugee legal status prevents refugees from receiving benefits and having access to free healthcare. This precariousness took the life of a 7-year-old Nigerian girl<\/a>.<\/p>\nA refugee<\/em> finds more and more doors shutting before him: the promises to deport refugees are at the core of political agenda in several European countries<\/a>. While refugees<\/em> and migrants<\/em> constantly live in fear of deportation and repercussions, a wealthy global citizen<\/em> is treated with supreme reverence and exclusive offers (such as an offer of a Maltese passport, if he happens to need one).<\/p>\nJust like the native Maltese, expats and migrants often complain about the treatment they receive in Malta, but they do so in a different manner and for different reasons.<\/p>\n
Whereas the migrant<\/em>\u2019s complaints are the cries of distress, those of a privileged expat<\/em> are a means of stating his superiority over the locals and morally instructing them. When an expat<\/em> complains about Malta, he implies that this (\u2018backwards\u2019, \u2018developing<\/a>\u2019 or even \u2018third-world<\/a>\u2019) country fails to meet his high expectations and the standard of living he\u2019s used to. As a migrant<\/em>, I could not but complain about dehumanising bureaucracy<\/a> that obtaining of a residence permit involved. Anyone is likely to derail after having to battle for their rights on a day-to-day basis\u2014the difficulty that a wealthy expat<\/em> is spared from, yet seems blissfully unaware of his privilege. Some expats<\/em>\u00a0even complain about the presence of migrants<\/em> and refugees<\/em> in Malta.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]T<\/em>he <\/em>global citizen has the whole world to cater for his demands. Nobody expects him to \u2018integrate\u2019 in Malta since his presence already seems like a blessing.<\/em>[\/perfectpullquote]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The global citizen<\/em> has the whole world to cater for his demands. Nobody expects him to \u2018integrate\u2019 in Malta since his presence already seems like a blessing. Yet, \u2018concerns on integration<\/a>\u2019 immediately surface when migrants<\/em> and refugees<\/em> happen to pursue their cultural habits. Moreover, they are constantly facing the blame for being a threat to the Maltese \u2018national identity\u2019.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.islesoftheleft.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/separators-bottom11-1.png?resize=696%2C20\")
<\/p>\n
Migrant<\/em>s are visible because they are part of the crowd. A crime committed by a migrant<\/em> immediately causes outrage and quickly leads to an anti-migration protest. Though much more grave, the crimes of a global citizen<\/em> are invisible to the majority. These crimes<\/a> are executed in an elegant, quiet manner: tax evasion, tax avoidance and dubious business investments to mention a few.<\/p>\nSadly, the crimes of a global citizen<\/em> are legalised. He prides his intelligence for tax avoidance and that is why he specifically chooses Malta: to save money<\/a> and enjoy sun. Although a global citizen<\/em> pretends to be a charitable philanthropist, the facts prove the opposite: the recent research has established that the wealthy investors extract more profit<\/a> from the poorer countries than vice versa<\/em>. In other words, they set foot in a country to take\u2014not give\u2014benefits. Thus, the economic activity of a global citizen<\/em> is the driver of global inequality and injustice that force persons from economically disadvantaged regions to leave their homes behind and to become migrant<\/em>s and refugees<\/em>.<\/p>\nDespite their profound differences, the roles of a global citizen, an expat, a migrant and a refugee are all defined by global neoliberalism. Whereas a global citizen<\/em> is its supreme benefactor and an expat<\/em> is its agent, a migrant<\/em> and a refugee<\/em> are its victims. Another common denominator of all foreigners is that their value is determined by their contribution to the national economy. Whereas the poorer kinds of foreigners, as Joseph Muscat expressed<\/a> in his statement, should be tolerated because they \u201cdo certain kinds of work\u201d that \u201c[Maltese] children are not going to [do]\u201d, the global citizens are welcome if they pour in the money in form of direct investment<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]If the physical presence of foreigners in Malta truly concerns the Maltese, which kind of foreigners are they concerned about\u2014the servants or the masters?<\/em>[\/perfectpullquote]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Hence, here is the question: if the physical presence of foreigners in Malta truly concerns the Maltese, which kind of foreigners are they concerned about\u2014the servants or the masters? If it is gentrification and the unregulated housing sector that concerns them most, the list of the true perpetrators must include landlords, real estate agencies and property developers, whose thirst for profit seems insatiable.<\/p>\n
Collage: Charlene Galea<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
[dropcap]A[\/dropcap]ccording to a Malta Today survey<\/a>, 15.5% of a total of 501 respondents are concerned about \u2018foreigners living in Malta\u2019 and \u2018illegal immigration\u2019, making issues related to foreigners the second highest concern after traffic.<\/p>\n The results of the survey lead to more questions than insights. What are the causes for the reported concerns about foreigners living in Malta? Could it be that these concerns respond to gentrification and the unregulated housing market, partially caused by the presence of new customers? Also, do all foreigners belong to the same category and have the equal power to negatively influence Malta\u2019s housing market?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]It is customary for foreign nationals to be labelled as \u2018global citizens\u2019, \u2018expats\u2019, \u2018migrants\u2019 or \u2018refugees\u2019, depending on their economic status or the status of their country of origin.<\/em>[\/perfectpullquote]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It goes without saying that not all foreigners are the same kettle of fish. It is customary for foreign nationals to be labelled as \u2018global citizens\u2019, \u2018expats\u2019, \u2018migrants\u2019 or \u2018refugees\u2019, depending on their economic status or the status of their country of origin.<\/p>\n In a nutshell, the terms expat<\/em> and migrant<\/em> echo the profound class and racial inequalities which are still present in the world. Expat<\/em> is usually reserved for individuals from the EU&Co., North America and Australia who left their native country to work in a multinational company or for leisure. Global citizen<\/em> describes the specific, most privileged kind of expat, who sees the world \u201cwithout borders\u201d because they literally do not exist for him. The advantages of his golden passport and the financial assets spare him from the humiliating struggles for the freedom of movement.<\/p>\n A migrant<\/em>, on the other hand, is everyone else who leaves his place of birth in search of a better life. He only aspires to become a global citizen because his opportunities for resettlement are institutionally restricted. Finally, a refugee<\/em> is the most disadvantaged kind of arrival: his resettlement is not driven by the free will but is forced upon him by war, natural disasters and\/or extreme poverty.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]A migrant, on the other hand, is everyone else who leaves his place of birth in search of a better life.<\/em>[\/perfectpullquote]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Global citizens, expats, migrants and refugees do not receive equal treatment. In fact, they are treated accordingly to their status: where a wealthy expat<\/em> is greeted with open arms, a migrant<\/em> finds endless bureaucracy and a refugee<\/em>\u2014a barbed wire.<\/p>\n While some expats<\/em> bathe in public attention<\/a>, homeless migrants<\/em> die in poverty<\/a>. Their death is reported in plain and casual manner: four sentences-short articles announced that one migrant<\/a> was found dead under the bridge and the other<\/a>\u2014in a games room at Xatt il-Mollijiet in Marsa. Both Somali men came from afar only to find their lonely death in Malta. They left their native countries hoping for a better life, but poverty did not leave them until the very end.<\/p>\n Refugees<\/em>, especially refugee children, are the most vulnerable group of all foreigners due to the uncertainties of their legal status and severe material deprivation. The absence of a refugee legal status prevents refugees from receiving benefits and having access to free healthcare. This precariousness took the life of a 7-year-old Nigerian girl<\/a>.<\/p>\n A refugee<\/em> finds more and more doors shutting before him: the promises to deport refugees are at the core of political agenda in several European countries<\/a>. While refugees<\/em> and migrants<\/em> constantly live in fear of deportation and repercussions, a wealthy global citizen<\/em> is treated with supreme reverence and exclusive offers (such as an offer of a Maltese passport, if he happens to need one).<\/p>\n Just like the native Maltese, expats and migrants often complain about the treatment they receive in Malta, but they do so in a different manner and for different reasons.<\/p>\n Whereas the migrant<\/em>\u2019s complaints are the cries of distress, those of a privileged expat<\/em> are a means of stating his superiority over the locals and morally instructing them. When an expat<\/em> complains about Malta, he implies that this (\u2018backwards\u2019, \u2018developing<\/a>\u2019 or even \u2018third-world<\/a>\u2019) country fails to meet his high expectations and the standard of living he\u2019s used to. As a migrant<\/em>, I could not but complain about dehumanising bureaucracy<\/a> that obtaining of a residence permit involved. Anyone is likely to derail after having to battle for their rights on a day-to-day basis\u2014the difficulty that a wealthy expat<\/em> is spared from, yet seems blissfully unaware of his privilege. Some expats<\/em>\u00a0even complain about the presence of migrants<\/em> and refugees<\/em> in Malta.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]T<\/em>he <\/em>global citizen has the whole world to cater for his demands. Nobody expects him to \u2018integrate\u2019 in Malta since his presence already seems like a blessing.<\/em>[\/perfectpullquote]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The global citizen<\/em> has the whole world to cater for his demands. Nobody expects him to \u2018integrate\u2019 in Malta since his presence already seems like a blessing. Yet, \u2018concerns on integration<\/a>\u2019 immediately surface when migrants<\/em> and refugees<\/em> happen to pursue their cultural habits. Moreover, they are constantly facing the blame for being a threat to the Maltese \u2018national identity\u2019.<\/p>\n Migrant<\/em>s are visible because they are part of the crowd. A crime committed by a migrant<\/em> immediately causes outrage and quickly leads to an anti-migration protest. Though much more grave, the crimes of a global citizen<\/em> are invisible to the majority. These crimes<\/a> are executed in an elegant, quiet manner: tax evasion, tax avoidance and dubious business investments to mention a few.<\/p>\n Sadly, the crimes of a global citizen<\/em> are legalised. He prides his intelligence for tax avoidance and that is why he specifically chooses Malta: to save money<\/a> and enjoy sun. Although a global citizen<\/em> pretends to be a charitable philanthropist, the facts prove the opposite: the recent research has established that the wealthy investors extract more profit<\/a> from the poorer countries than vice versa<\/em>. In other words, they set foot in a country to take\u2014not give\u2014benefits. Thus, the economic activity of a global citizen<\/em> is the driver of global inequality and injustice that force persons from economically disadvantaged regions to leave their homes behind and to become migrant<\/em>s and refugees<\/em>.<\/p>\n Despite their profound differences, the roles of a global citizen, an expat, a migrant and a refugee are all defined by global neoliberalism. Whereas a global citizen<\/em> is its supreme benefactor and an expat<\/em> is its agent, a migrant<\/em> and a refugee<\/em> are its victims. Another common denominator of all foreigners is that their value is determined by their contribution to the national economy. Whereas the poorer kinds of foreigners, as Joseph Muscat expressed<\/a> in his statement, should be tolerated because they \u201cdo certain kinds of work\u201d that \u201c[Maltese] children are not going to [do]\u201d, the global citizens are welcome if they pour in the money in form of direct investment<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]If the physical presence of foreigners in Malta truly concerns the Maltese, which kind of foreigners are they concerned about\u2014the servants or the masters?<\/em>[\/perfectpullquote]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hence, here is the question: if the physical presence of foreigners in Malta truly concerns the Maltese, which kind of foreigners are they concerned about\u2014the servants or the masters? If it is gentrification and the unregulated housing sector that concerns them most, the list of the true perpetrators must include landlords, real estate agencies and property developers, whose thirst for profit seems insatiable.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n