Should I be worried of racism

Not far fetched I'm afraid, I am a UK registered nurse and worked in Malta last year and was shocked by the overt racist comments/attitudes of several Maltese nurses I worked with!!!! - I was disgusted and it was one of the reasons I have now returned to work in the UK !!! - the Maltese are decades behind most , shall we say , progressive European nations on this matter!!!!!! - love them to pull this attitude over here .......they'd be struck off within the day , and rightly so !!!!! - anyway, don't let it stop you going my friend, just stand your ground and be strong and you'll be fine!!!!! 😀👍

This is awful that you have experienced that but i think like any country it has racist and moronic individuals but you shouldn't be put of coming to Malta ..
don't let them win come and take the job you have been offered and show them that they are the ones in the wrong.


I suppose each persons experiences will be different and you should take heed of peoples stories etc and make sure you are aware but dont believe everything you read .on a similar theme . Many told me when i first suggested Malta that it was extremely homophobic being a catholic country etc but i haven't as yet experienced any , in fact i have seen same sex couples walking along Marsaxlokk and no one has even batted an eyelid ...

what im trying to say is that you need to come and experience it for yourself , and dont let other peoples bad experience put you off.

I think you have been wise to take a close look at different aspects of living in Malta.

I don't know if race affects admission to some clubs but it wouldn't surprise me to learn it does. It seems to me Malta hasn't come to terms with its history and past. They desperately try to prove to everyone including themselves that they're Anglo-Saxon or European race and have no African/Arabic roots/history/connection.

Although Malta is close to the African continent, Maltese aren't used to seeing African people until recent years when people have arrived here by boats. I think it's fair to say a general and deep distrust and division exists here. You might well notice this in people's attitude and behaviour. It seems that black people here can mainly get to do heavy, dangerous, unpleasant and low-paid jobs.

I have to tell you that racism in Malta is horrendous, particularly if you are of Black African appearance.
It is absolutely disgusting and is everywhere.
Just read any of the comments in their newspapers when it comes to any article regarding any mention of immigration or African etc.
Some Maltese are absolutely disgusting in the way they do insult as well, in comments after press articles I have read comments when referring to Black Africans as 'diseased dogs'. Two recent incidents in which two Black people were victims of crime attracted many comments such as 'they shouldn't be here' 'deport them' etc and they were the victims!!!
I'm sorry but that is how I have seen it. I have also witnessed and reported several incidents of racism in public, particularly on the buses but of course nothing happens. It is disgusting, yet they so like to pretend otherwise.
That is the not so 'hidden' dark side of here.
Mind you, it is not confined to Black Africans; some of them hate Jewish people too and will openly say so without any encouragement whatsoever.
Good luck.

I have to agree with redmik, I have seen countless examples of racism in Malta, some of it jaw-dropping, absolutely horrendous. I have done a lot of traveling around the world, and racism does unfortunately exist everywhere to some degree, but Malta is the worst I have ever seen.

I have also seen shocking things on the buses, a few years ago we were just about to pull out of our stand at Valletta when two African guys tried to board the bus. The driver refused to let them on and I couldn't repeat what he shouted at them, the most vile, shocking torrent of racial abuse and hatred I have ever heard. Even more sad was the fact that nobody even batted an eyelid. I was ready to go and confront the driver (not on my own, he was twice my size and looked like an inbred football hooligan), but there was no reaction from any of the other 15-20 passengers on board 

As for the Times of Malta, I'm at the point I want to stop reading it. Yes we have the Daily Mail in the UK, but it's nothing compared to the national newspaper here. Check out all of Mr Jean-Pierre Sammut's replies to this story, about 6 or 7 pages down in the comments section.

timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20141023/local/rents-up-15-in-sliema-st-julians.540927

All comments on that site have to be checked and moderated in advance before they are posted. So whoever moderated his comments, thought it was perfectly acceptable. In the UK he would probably have been arrested for inciting racial hatred, but in Malta, no problem.

robpw2 wrote:

Many told me when i first suggested Malta that it was extremely homophobic being a catholic country etc but i haven't as yet experienced any , in fact i have seen same sex couples walking along Marsaxlokk and no one has even batted an eyelid ...

Maybe you've been lucky so far Rob, and I wish you continued good luck, but just be careful. 47% of the population of Malta voted against legalizing divorce, so I can imagine what the vast majority of the people of Malta think about homosexuality.

It's not just the problem with the general public's view either, it's the stance of the police and the judiciary which is a problem too, e.g.

"When the police arrived they went into the boys’ apartment and spoke to them but no arrests were made, Amy’s mother said." - So gay-bashing isn't a crime in Malta then? ABH is allowed if the victims are gay?

timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120122/local/Thugs-attack-lesbian-16-on-a-bench.403284

and saving the best for last -

timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20121010/local/-Gay-jibe-man-who-ran-down-tourist-walks-free.440361

Malta, the country where if someone suggests that you might be gay, it's OK to get into your car and run them over.

I never know whether to    or    when I read that story. ONLY IN MALTA. 

i have to say that racism is alive and kicking in Malta.. and its quite obvious - am saddened that a good friend of mine of Nigerian origin was treated the way he was when he was over ....... and he will never ever go back..... despite having family there....

Thank you all for your replies so far.
It's quite obvious Malta has a BIG problem, and I'm not sure I want to get caught up in it.

One person I spoke to replied as long as you look 'Western' you don't have a problem. (Shocking reply)

The whole idea was to go there initially and after I am settled bring the wife and kids up. I don't want my family in an environment like this.

The chances of me moving over to Malta are less than slim considering all I know now.

Thats a real shame and i agree you need to protect your family

bornonthe12th, I have PM'd you. 

On an Island....yeah im always careful i think after what i went through when i was younger i have learnt to be discrete - i personally would never dream of walking round holding my husbands hands and were certainly not ones for public displays of affection. The UK might pretend to be the land of equality but its still got a long way to go. i havent had any groups drive past me and shout obsencitys here ...

I don't shy way from it and i am proud to be married and i am happy to tell people where its necessary such as when we applied for residency or when we were getting an appointment for looking at life insurance. I just don't think its appropriate to rub peoples noses in it but then i am also from a generation where for my entire school life it wasn't appropriate to discuss sexuality due to section 28.

Hopefully ill continue to have no issues and if they arrive  i have quite a gob on me and am definatley able to stand up for myself ..

I do wonder though if a lot of the bigotry on the island is a generation thing too and as each new generation is born hopefully the attitudes will change and for the better

even looking western can be a problem!!!

bornonthe12th wrote:

Thank you all for your replies so far.
It's quite obvious Malta has a BIG problem, and I'm not sure I want to get caught up in it.

One person I spoke to replied as long as you look 'Western' you don't have a problem. (Shocking reply)

The whole idea was to go there initially and after I am settled bring the wife and kids up. I don't want my family in an environment like this.

The chances of me moving over to Malta are less than slim considering all I know now.

Letting idiot racists dictate your life ?...Get a grip and take the chance.If it gets too much return home.Simples.

robpw2 wrote:

I do wonder though if a lot of the bigotry on the island is a generation thing too and as each new generation is born hopefully the attitudes will change and for the better

I think you might be right, and not just here but everywhere. My dad still occasionally comes out with the odd racist slur, which I am very quick to pull him up about. But he's in his 80s and grew up watching Alf Garnett, Bernard Manning, Jim Davidson and all the other 70s "comedians". A lot has changed for the good in the last 40 or so years in the UK, but Malta is still decades behind with some of their attitudes.

Have a look at those two Times Of Malta stories I posted earlier when Admin approves the links. I don't know if you've been long enough in Malta to have seen them, they're eye-opening to say the least.

On An Island wrote:

robpw2 wrote:

I do wonder though if a lot of the bigotry on the island is a generation thing too and as each new generation is born hopefully the attitudes will change and for the better

I think you might be right, and not just here but everywhere. My dad still occasionally comes out with the odd racist slur, which I am very quick to pull him up about. But he's in his 80s and grew up watching Alf Garnett, Bernard Manning, Jim Davidson and all the other 70s "comedians". A lot has changed for the good in the last 40 or so years in the UK, but Malta is still decades behind with some of their attitudes.

Have a look at those two Times Of Malta stories I posted earlier when Admin approves the links. I don't know if you've been long enough in Malta to have seen them, they're eye-opening to say the least.

pm me them , Malta has its own gay bar now .. i was most shocked lol ..a big massive rainbow flag outside the only problems i had when i went is two female prostitutes propositioned me for sex on the way home ..lol

I have been here 3 months and sadly have heard very negative comments (from a female cab driver) re: Africans. My brother and I were so stunned we got out of the cab and he looked at me and said, 'Were we on hidden camera? Was that for real?' I wouldn't let it go again, I was honestly so taken aback I thought, like my bro, she was testing us and it was a bad joke!
Having said that, I have relatives here who are educated, progressive thinking, and not at all like that cab driver. It would be a shame if you were dissuaded from coming. Many Maltese are kind and generous. Perhaps come for a visit first?

Racism is alive anywhere. Its the racists in the wrong,not you. Give your new life a go.

Alf Garnett was a character in a series which was, actually, anti racist. Satire at its best; racists being ridiculed.
SunshineLover, are you Black? If not, you have no idea.

No idea ? I lived in Swaziland for 5 months and got called Casper daily, So maybe you shut ur hole ?

"are you Black? If not, you have no idea."

Really ? Your describing people by black or white,? Disgusting.

FYI the term 'Black' as in describing someone of such an appearance was defined by those people themselves.
They were sick of being called 'coloured' which unfortunately used to describe many different people of many different ethnicities or arguably worse; negro. (Particularly in USA)
It is a social/ political construct and is acceptable. It gave them power.
If it was good enough for Martin Luther King Jr, it's good enough for me.
As one of mixed race ethnicity I am very aware of the cruelty of racism but when in the white majority, its impact is minimal; if any.

SunshineLover2011 wrote:

Really ? Your describing people by black or white,? Disgusting.

My grandmother never minded, that's how she also described herself. Black - and proud.

Redmik, why have you suddenly turned on Sunshinelover? - he made a comment similar to many others on this topic!!!!! - you have just started an argument for absolutely no reason whatsoever!!!!! - I really don't understand why ?????😳

redmik wrote:

Alf Garnett was a character in a series which was, actually, anti racist. Satire at its best; racists being ridiculed.

Yeah it sure was redmik, unfortunately the satire was lost on a large section of the viewing public, it went straight over their heads. The very people that the show was mocking were far too dumb to realise that they were in fact being ridiculed, they probably saw him as a voice of reason. His character actually appealed to a lot of people and it just reinforced their prejudices.

And even today, if everyone understood that it was a satire, it's highly unlikely that any episodes would ever be shown again on terrestrial TV stations. Ditto to many other 70s TV shows.

bornonthe12th wrote:

Hi Guys,

I was recently in Malta for a holiday and loved it there and on coming back to the UK I applied for some jobs and feel honoured to have been offered 2 jobs in Malta (Although I have not accepted either offer yet).

I have been doing a lot of research over the weekend about Malta and was quite shocked about my findings, that is the attiitude of the maltese to black africans. I am of Nigerian but have lived in the UK for almost 20 years.

In this day and age im quite shocked to hear that black people are not allowed in certain clubs in Malta.

Is this really the case or are some of these stories far fetched. I will have to make a decision by wednesday and would really appreciate any advise from you guys. Cheers

It feels kinda wrong to even be asking this question, but I assume your potential employers are aware that you're black ?

Yes you should be. Sad but true - many Maltese are extremely vary of "outsiders" and being Nigerian you are going to notice it.

As a side note - Maltese people look/are partly Arabic partly European (I think). They definitely look Arabic but most will never admit it! I used to shop at this local grocery store in Gozo almost every day and I swear I've never met a Maltese person taller than me (I'm only 6 feet tall). Walking into the store was always slightly awkward - I felt like a giant hahaha!

So yeah... Malta.

i think what you should be worried about is yourself. How do you see yourself and why should you care more about racism and the way people see you or comment about you.Where are you going and heading if you care so much about what individuals, humans beings like you and me think about you, you shouldnt care much about negative comments humans that are created from dust say about you. Whether you like it or not, people would always stereotype you due to one reason or the other, you shouldnt let it get to you and prevent you from moving forward or being what you want to be.
There are some issues in life that you cant stop. As a person i am, i am much concerned about what God says about me,positive comments made by real people with substance,am not really concerned about negative comments on me made by my fellow human beings which at the end we will all go down the same grave and become dust. My advice is that you cant change what is happening here and in the world, you just have to live the best out from it and dont let it weigh you down.you have to know that people have different personalities(good or bad) and that affects them through out their life,those kind of people you will always meet. There are better issues to worry about than racism, so get yourself over here and dont let racism bother you.

chomypetra wrote:

There are some issues in life that you cant stop. As a person i am, i am much concerned about what God says about me,positive comments made by real people with substance,am not really concerned about negative comments on me made by my fellow human beings which at the end we will all go down the same grave and become dust. My advice is that you cant change what is happening here and in the world, you just have to live the best out from it and dont let it weigh you down.you have to know that people have different personalities(good or bad) and that affects them through out their life,those kind of people you will always meet. There are better issues to worry about than racism, so get yourself over here and dont let racism bother you.

You can change what is happening in this world ... you certainly wont change it by pretending it doesnt happen or bother you .
Your right he should come here and not let others dictate to him based on thier own misgivings or issues  but you stand up to racism by shutting those people down and about creating the best life possible and showing them they cannot win .

I believe if some one makes a racist comment about you, you just have to prove to that person that you are better than him/her through your attitude and response to the individual

TheDarkman wrote:

It feels kinda wrong to even be asking this question, but I assume your potential employers are aware that you're black ?

Yes it does feel wrong to be asking this question about an EU State in 2015. But going by the replies I have received on this thread and by PMs. It is a very valid case of concern! and yes they are aware I am black.

What some should also be very concerned about is the impact of blatant and horrendous racism upon any children They will have just moved to a new country and entered a different educational system. Having to make new friends and certainly not initially having a good support system, apart from  their parents, of course. (Who, of course, will also be subject to this themselves in a new environment.)
A serious consideration when contemplating a move.

short answer: yes. I've witnessed bus drivers who closed to doors in front of people or refused to let them on the bus (because they "didn't have change") based on their skin color. It's pretty obvious, but only in a ..lets say..working-class, less-educated environment. I work in a company where the Maltese are actually the minority. In such an environment it's no problem at all.

I didn't even worry about racism until I read this thread. We plan on moving to Malta in August, and now I'm scared my son will have problems in Kindergarten because he is half African/american
Could that happen? Though I'd hope at least schools with a lot of expat children close to the university will be less filled with racism... Who knows.

bornonthe12th wrote:

TheDarkman wrote:

It feels kinda wrong to even be asking this question, but I assume your potential employers are aware that you're black ?

Yes it does feel wrong to be asking this question about an EU State in 2015. But going by the replies I have received on this thread and by PMs. It is a very valid case of concern! and yes they are aware I am black.

The reason I asked is because one of the worst aspects of racism is the denial of access to the means to be able to support yourself. It seems this wasn't a barrier for you. I would therefore assume that the people you will be working with and for see you as an asset to the business.

In the "wider world" you will doubtless experience some prejudice. Everyone does if they're not a local. But if you're of strong enough mind to overcome the hurdles that living in a different culture presents, the colour of your skin isn't going to be an enormous handicap.

I see the date by which you had to make your decision has now passed. I hope you made the right one and are now busy preparing for your new life. I moved here from Kent as well. And I ain't ever going back. 

Hi!
I was in Malta to work in the summer last year. I am of Asian descent, so I kind of know what your feelings are. My thoughts considering what I saw in 2 months living in the island:
- African immigrants are everywhere, but you see a vast majority wandering around doing nothing at all!!!!But you also see them working in jobs I doubt anyone would love to do.
- Maltese feeling: that they come, they get the help from government to learn English, housing and a monthly subside, so why bother work?
Well, I live in Germany and I see similar thing happening here as well. There are immigrants who want to go ahead, make a living and have a better live. Some others realise they can always get something for free and just wander around doing nothing all day. Some others are asylumseekers, who can't do nothing until their papers are ready.
I'd say you are as safe in Malta as anywhere else, once people see you are a honest lad trying to have a decent life.

to be fair most are indeed seeking a better life,  and i wish them all luck in that respect... and they are if you speak to them actually looking to be somewhere other than Malta - many see the rock as a simple stepping stone to EUrope.

Bro, the findings of your research are legit!! I am an international African American black male student in Malta. On my journey to this island, I was asked severally why I'd be doing studies in Malta. Sadly, but true enough, the racism towards blacks here is something else!! very much, you would be outrightly stopped at the entrance of several clubs, and get an identity check, and most probably denied access. They don't care. Maltese are openly racist, and you better watch out, as many blacks have been killed in Paceville, where the nightlife is concentrated, and no more seems to be bordered. It's fine to them that way, I presume. Plus, I don't know why you will be leaving the U.K to work in Malta. It sounds like a joke to me as the wages are considerably very low. Personally, I feel so isolated here as I interact with the locals as least as maybe when buying from a store, or paying my bus pass. Though when I came in, I found them to be very nice and welcoming, but it was a very short-lived first impression. They will smile with you, and call you very derogatory names behind your back. It happened to me many times. Though I happen to outsmart every student in my class, they usually tell me am very 'intelligent' or a black man. I feel like am in some sort of prison. I will celebrate the day I will leave this island ...for GOOD. Goodluck with your job tho.

Bro, I wouldn't even say that this was some 'EU' state with the kind of mentality these people have. I can even guess your employer is not Maltese, tho I might be wrong. They just treat my brothers here like 'slaves'. I could write a book on my experience in Malta. Malta is a place you might just want to visit during summer. Living and working, no no. Studying as a black man, NO NO. It is not worth it.

Maltese people seem to be very unhappy with their lives and government. They go around cursing on people in their language .
There is no way you are getting justice if you ever complain about racial profiling. The police and the court is just as racist!! . I got refused entry into several times, clearly because am black. Even inside the clubs, you would get a constant disapproving stare from the Maltese clubbers. If you try talking to a white girl in club, especially a Maltese one, don't be surprised to get kicked out of the club...I am not exaggerating. All these have happened to me. Well, maybe because I am attractive, and got 'swag' . Once out of the club, if you want to protest, they will tell you, you got thrown out because you are drunk, just to frustrate you more, and make you look stupid. They are just very disgusted at black people, and my only Maltese friend tell me that all the time. That his people are very RACIST. They usually tell me that I should go back home if am so disgusted about the island, like there are no Maltese emigrants on earth. If it is a good job, and a good earning, aim for it bro. Don't condemn a good employer's offer over some ignorant racist slurs.

Overwhelmed with the responses guys ! Really appreciate them. The Darkman thanks for the words of inspiration. But as someone said its not just about me . Do I really want my child  in such a racist country?

Besua I hear everything you say and your experiences sound horrible. I had to make a choice by Wednesday and took a safe one. And yes your guess was right my employer is Australian.

I will be getting paid less than I get in the UK (50k euro compared to 50k GBP). The choice to come to Malta was not based on more money.The warm climate and high demand for software developers was what enticed me.But that is not good enough.

Fortunately I have a choice I do not have to put myself or family through this. I will be visiting Malta again for another holiday in October but that's as far as it goes I cannot live in that country.

Well , for what it's worth , I think you have probably made the right choice !
Maybe , in time , if more talented , highly qualified people like yourself turned down the chance to live and work in Malta because of the way you have been treated and the reason for this treatment was solely the colour of your skin , then maybe the Maltese might start to realise that they have a bit of a problem there !!!!
Anyway it's their loss eh ? - good luck with everything anyway 👍