VOTES GO UNCOUNTED AS MALTESE EMIGRANTS TREATED LIKE PARASITES
By Maltese Canadian
Ten years ago, then President Marie-Louis Coleiro Preca, during a visit to Blacktown City in Australia, called on Maltese-Australians to remain connected to Malta. Someone in the large crowd shouted back, “If you allow us to vote.”
Malta’s overseas community stands ready to join the democratic process. If the two main parties open general elections to citizens in faraway countries, thousands of new votes would enter the system. The change would enrich national politics. It would also reflect modern reality.
Malta’s resident population includes roughly 405,000 who hold Maltese citizenship. Estimates of the diaspora vary. Between 400,000 and 700,000 people of Maltese origin live overseas. Many retain citizenship or strong ties to the homeland. Australia hosts the largest group. Tens of thousands of Maltese-born citizens and their descendants call it home. Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and Italy also shelter sizeable communities. Smaller numbers live across Europe and beyond.
These expatriates differ from the island average. Many left for better opportunities. They tend to be younger and ambitious when they depart. They work in diverse fields abroad. They raise families in open societies. Their views often blend deep love for Malta with fresh perspectives gained overseas. Many remain emotionally attached. They visit when they can. They follow Maltese news closely.
If allowed to vote by secure post or online, the diaspora would add a meaningful bloc. Even a conservative turnout could inject 20,000 to 50,000 votes. In tight Maltese elections, that matters. It could sway marginal seats. It would force parties to address issues beyond village concerns. Housing costs, youth emigration, environmental protection, economic opportunity and rampant corruption would gain fresh attention.
The diaspora brings assets. Its members include successful professionals, entrepreneurs and skilled workers. They understand global trends. They could push Malta toward greater openness and competitiveness. Their participation would strengthen national unity. It would tell young Maltese that leaving does not mean losing your voice.
Both Labour and the Nationalists should recognise this potential. They should stop screwing the Maltese abroad. Emigrants built Malta’s reputation overseas. Granting overseas voting rights to political orphans is not charity. It is basic fairness. It modernises democracy. It honours every citizen under the Maltese flag. The Maltese diaspora is not a burden. It is a resource. Its votes would enrich debate. Its energy would benefit the entire nation.
Thanking the Maltese community in Blacktown City for continuously giving visibility to Malta through various ventures, the President Coleiro Preca called on them to continue instilling the Maltese pride in the younger generations. Sadly, it is the parliamentarians in Malta who have been doing everything possible to douse this pride by excluding their brethren in Australia and other faraway countries from voting. The President begged for connection but parliament gives them rejection.
The Nationalists have lately expressed reservation about foreigners of other races, unrelated by blood (“jus sanguinis”) to the native Maltese, voting in the general election. How about giving voting access to native Maltese and their children living overseas? Stop treating them as parasites. Modern Malta foolishly embraces the replacement of its own and relegates the rights of its emigrants to the dustbin.
Our Malta cannot afford to keep its people divided by geography. The time for reform has come. Open the elections. Welcome the diaspora to full access to the ballot box, even from afar. A stronger, more united Malta awaits. Crush once and forever the emigrant curse “Born Maltese, Forever Disenfranchised.” Or does blood count only when convenient?