By Kebba Ansu Manneh
Black Lives Matter Malta’ a leading rights activist group in Malta has protested against the inhumane treatment of black migrants in the Maltese capital Valletta, urging the Maltese government to immediately stop the continuous violations of the rights of black migrants living in on the Island country.
The Movement comprised of many of African descent including Gambians has also called on the Government of Malta to prosecute scores of police and army officers who violated the rights of black migrants.
Ebrima Drammeh, a leading Gambian Migrant Rights Activist said the protest was necessitated by the continuous rights violations of black migrants in the hands of the Maltese security forces, adding that the protest is meant to call the attention of the Maltese government to take appropriate steps in addressing the numerous cases of abuse meted out to black migrants living in Malta.
According to him, the Maltese security forces continuously subjected black migrants to different forms of torture, arrest, detention, and deportation without due regard to the rights of the migrant, noting that these among other issues were highlighted during last Saturday’s protest that attracted activists throughout Malta under the auspices of ‘Black Lives Matter, Malta’.
‘Black Lives Matter, Malta’ Movement has issued a statement to the effect calling on Maltese citizens and the government to do more to observe the fundamental rights of the migrants and do any means necessary to protect these migrants and refugees against violence and discrimination.
“Three Maltese police officers were accused of abducting and assaulting migrants at the beginning of September. This case echoes another from 2019 when two army officers were accused of the racially motivated murder of a black man,” ‘Black Lives Matter, Malta’ said in its statement addressed to the Maltese Government.
They added: “Every single day migrants, black, and brown people contribute to our growth and well-being and in return, they face precarity, abuse, exploitation, and violence. Where is the respect?”
The rights group movement said continuous incidences of rights violations in Malta without any action from the government is a total violation of international protocol.
“Thanks to two decades of racialised discourse, abusive policies, and human rights violations, racism has become institutionalised, bullying and violence have become normalised, and a sense of impunity festers and prevails,” ‘Black Lives Matter, Malta, stated in its statement.