The dissemination of information is a crucial tool to ease fear and anxiousness that immigration arouses among the immigrants themselves and those who welcome them amongst them, said former Prime Minister Alfred Sant when addressing a Conference on the role of policymakers and journalist in shaping the public perception of Migration.

The Maltese MEP said country studies of media and migration in the Mediterranean region show that the traditional media have limited resources to analyse and report on the longer term effects of migration. They can only deal with events as they arise, lacking the resources to carry out and publicise the results of longitudinal investigations. This is a problem for migration and should not be looked at only in the short term, on an event by event basis. By its very nature, media reporting focuses day to day on what is out of the ordinary. That frequently means bad news — so what is negative and dramatic gets reported, what is slow and positive gets overlooked.

In migration, as in so many other issues of today, the traditional media are getting underpinned and overlaid by the social media, with all the possibilities that this gives rise to for the transmission of false or distorted messages.

“By any standards, under any circumstances, largescale migration can and is likely to be characterised by misunderstandings, disappointments, suspicions, fears, resentment, anger as well as by hopes, relief, resignation, melancholia if not despair on the part of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of people.”

Dr Sant said largescale immigration is a process that engages — sometimes destabilizes — whole societies, marking huge discontinuities, economically and socially, for migrants and their hosts. It has no clear beginning and more importantly no clear end, for people will continue to experience its impact and consequences, well into the future, through more than one generation.

“To believe that largescale migration can be managed smoothly according to some magic formula, whether it be integration or separate development or whatever, is an illusion.
People are not like branded, canned goods that can be placed side by side without problems on a Lidl shelving.”

Dr Sant said immigrants have their own cultural, intellectual and spiritual characteristics and create their own social construction of reality that will likely clash with that of others, if made to coexist in the same space too soon and without enough preparation.

“Which means that beyond repeating the mantras of liberal, fundamentalist or fascist dogma, we need to be extremely sensitive if we are to manage successfully the forces that come into play when large scale migration occurs. By “successfully”, one means successful according to the European values of a solidarity based on the values of human rights and the rule of law. But successful also according to the norms of a statecraft that recognizes and makes full allowance for the worldview of “home” citizens, while adopting measures to protect the interests of all those who feel threatened — as hosts or as migrants.
In this exercise, speedy awareness of facts and issues become a leading factor in how a situation develops.”

Dr Sant said people need to know what the true facts are as soon as possible if their perceptions and attitudes are to be guided towards a rational and humane understanding plus acceptance of the migration phenomenon. The media therefore can have, should have
a crucial role in generating an awareness among people at large of the issues, challenges and dangers of mass migration.

The event was organised by the ICMPD (International Centre for Migration Policy Development) and promoted by Ms Mercedes Bresso, the Italian MEP and one of the S&D Vice-Presidents in the framework of launching the 2018 edition of the Migration Media Award (MMA). The Migration Media Award (MMA) recognizes and rewards the journalistic excellence, relevance and newsworthiness of press pieces dealing with migration in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Maltese Version – L-INFORMAZZJONI GĦODDA KRUĊJALI BIEX JONQSU T-TENSJONIJIET RAZZJALI

It-tixrid tal-inforamzzjoni jservi ta’ għodda kruċjali li tnaqqas il-biża’ u l-ansjeta` li jinħolqu bl-immigrazzjoni qalb l-immigranti nfushom u dawk li jilqgħuhom fosthom, qal Alfred Sant, il-Kap tad-Delegazzjoni Maltija Laburista fil-Parlament Ewropew waqt li indirizza l-Konferenza dwar ir-rwol ta’ dawk li jfasslu l-politika u r-rwol tal-ġurnalisti biex jifformaw il-perċezzjoni pubblika dwar l-immigrazzjoni.

Dr Sant qal li studji tal-media u l-immigrazzjoni fir-reġjun tal-Mediterran juru li l-media tradizzjonali għandha riżorsi limitati biex tanalizza u tirrapporta l-effetti fit-tul tal-immigrazzjoni. Il-media tradizzjonali tista’ biss tittratta avvenimenti li jistgħu jinqalgħu mingħajr r-riżorsi biex twettaq u tanalizza r-riżultati ta’ investigazzjonijiet wiesgħa. Din hija problema għax l-immigrazzjoni ma għandhiex tiġi eżaminata fuq żmien qasir, fuq avvenimenti meħuda każ b’każ, qal l-MEP.

“Fin-natura tiegħu stess ir-rapportaġġ tal-media jiffoka ġurnata b’ġurnata dwar dak li hu barra mill-ordinarju. Dan ħafna drabi jissarraf f’aħbarijiet negattivi – allura dak li hu negattiv u drammatiku jiġi rrapportat, dak li jdum biex jiżvolġi u huwa pożittiv jiġi injorat.”

Fil-qasam tal-immigrazzjoni l-istess bħal f’ħafna kwistjonijiet oħra kurrenti, il-media tradizzjonali qed tinħonoq mill-media soċjali, bil-possibilita` li dan il-qasam jagħti lok għal aħbarijiet foloz u messaġġi mhux preċiżi.

“L-immigrazzjoni tal-massa ħafna drabi tkun karatterizzata minn nuqqas ta’ ftehim, diżappunti, suspetti, biżgħat, riżentiment, rabja kif ukoll minn tama, serħan tal-moħħ, rassenjazzjoni, melankonija jekk mhux disprament minn eluf, mijiet ta’ eluf, miljuni ta’ nies. ”

Dr Sant qal li l-immigrazzjoni tal-massa hija proċess li jimpenja – ħafna drabi jiddistabilizza – soċjetajiet sħaħ, jimmarka diskontinwita` kbira, ekonomika u soċjali, għall-immigranti u dawk li jilqgħuhom. La għandha bidu ċar u l-anqas tmiem, għaliex in-nies jibqgħu jħossu l-impatt u l-konsegwenzi tagħha tul ħafna żmien u permezz ta’ aktar minn ġenerazzjoni waħda.

“It-twemmin li l-immigrazzjoni tal-massa tista’ titmexxa b’bakketta maġika mil-lat ta’ integrazzjoni jew li tista’ tkun żviluppata b’mod separat, hija illużjoni. L-individwi m’humiex bħal ikel fil-bottijiet, li jistgħu jitpoġġew fejn xulxin fuq xkaffa tal-Lidl mingħajr problemi.”

Dr Sant qal li l-immigranti għandhom il-kultura tagħhom u l-karatteristiċi intellettwali u spiritwali tagħhom. Huma joħolqu l-interpretazzjoni soċjali tagħhom tar-realta` li ħafna drabi ma taqbilx ma’ tal-oħrajn, jekk titqiegħed wisq kmieni fl-istess spazju mingħajr il-preparazzjoni meħtieġa.

“Dan ifisser li lil hinn milli nirrepetu r-ritornell dogmatiku liberali fundamentalist jew faxxist, irridu nkunu sensittivi ħafna jekk irridu mmexxu l-forzi li qed jilagħbu flimkien meta sseħħ l-immigrazzjoni tal-massa. Bil-kelma “suċċess”, wieħed ifisser li kollox jimxi b’suċċess skont il-valuri Ewropej tas-solidarjeta`, id-drittijiet tal-bniedem u l-liġi tad-dritt. Imma suċċess ifisser ukoll li kollox jimxi skont in-normi ta’ stat li jirrikonoxxi u jalloka “dar” liċ-ċittadini, waqt li jadotta miżuri li jipproteġu l-interessi ta’ dawk kollha li jħossuhom mhedda – li jistgħu jkunu kemm l-immigranti nfushom u kemm dawk li qed jilqgħuhom. F’dan l-eżerċizzju, it-tixrid mingħajr dewmien tal-fatti isir fattur li jaffettwa l-iżvilupp tas-sitwazzjoni.”

Dr Sant qal li n-nies iridu jisimgħu x’inhuma l-fatti reali bie ikun hemm l-aċċettazzjoni razzjonali tal-fenomenu tal-immigrazzjoni. Il-media jista’ jkollha, għandu jkollha rwol kruċjali fil-ħolqien ta’ kuxjenza fost il-poplu inġenerali tal-kwistjonijiet, l-isfidi u l-perikli tal-immigrazzjoni tal-massa.

Il-konferenza kienet organizzata mill-ICMPD – iċ-Ċentru Internazzjonali tal-Iżvilupp tal-Politika tal-Immigrazzjoni u ingħatat spinta minn Mercedes Bresso, Ewroparlamentari Taljana u waħda mill-Viċi-Presidenti tal-S&D.

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