Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant said that Malta should analyse the implications of the reformed deal renegotiating Britain’s relationship with the European Union. Member states will be analysing the implications of this decision. So should Malta, since the agreement affects the rights of Maltese workers and their families who go to work in the UK. Addressing the annual general meeting of the Labour Party’s center at Tarxien, Dr. Sant said that while the European Council’s agreement on a deal with the UK had been generally greeted with satisfaction, this is no time to rush. Reservations are likely to be raised about the solutions agreed to, not least in the European Parliament. Here there could be quite a number of MEPs who will contest the arrangement by which the UK will be able not to pay full social benefits to immigrants from EU countries.
“Arguments will be raised that this is going to contradict free movement inside the EU as well as the principle that you treat the citizens of EU countries in the same way as yours.
The point can and will be raised: if the UK is going to limit, under its social security system, the benefits that Maltese workers can aspire to under the laws of the UK, why should not the same apply to British students coming to study at the University of Malta? Maltese students who go to the UK to study at British Universities have to pay fees there, for that is the British system. But if British students come to study at the University of Malta, they do not have to pay fees, because in Malta, University tuition is free of charge. If Maltese workers will not benefit in full from British social security systems, why should British student benefit in full from Maltese educational provisions?” asked Dr. Sant.
Dr. Sant said that questions like these will be raised in the coming weeks at the European Parliament and indeed all over Europe, and they need to be evaluated and taken into account.
Maltese Version – MALTA GĦANDHA TANALIZZA L-IMPLIKAZZJONIJIET TAL-FTEHIM BEJN IR-RENJU UNIT U L-UE
Alfred Sant, Kap tad-Delegazzjoni Laburista fil-Parlament Ewropew, qal li Malta għandha tanalizza l-implikazzjonijiet tal-ftehim milħuq bejn ir-Renju Unit u l-Unjoni Ewropea. Stati membri se jkunu qed janalizzaw l-implikazzjoni ta’ din id-deċiżjoni. L-istess għandha tagħmel Malta għax dan il-ftehim jaffettwa d-drittijiet tal-ħaddiema Maltin u tal-familji tagħhom li jaħdmu fir-Renju Unit.
Dr. Sant, li kien qed jitkellem fil-laqgħa annwali taċ-Ċentru Laburista ta’ Ħal Tarxien, qal li l-ftehim tal-UE mar-Renju Unit kien milqugħ b’sodisfazzjon. “Imma m’għandniex niddeċiedu bl-għaġġla. Se jkun hemm riżervi dwar il-ftehim, mhux lanqas fil-Parlament Ewropew. Żgur se jkun hemm għadd ta’ Membri Parlamentari Ewropej li ma jaqblux mal-arranġament li r-Renju Unit ma jħallasx benefiċċji soċjali sħaħ lill-immigranti mill-UE. Se jqumu l-argumenti li dan il-ftehim jikkontradixxi l-moviment ħieles fi ħdan l-Unjoni Ewropea. Se jkun hemm min jgħid li dan jikkontradixxi l-prinċipju li ċ-ċittadini kollha tal-UE għandhom jiġu trattati l-istess.”
“Jekk ir-Renju Unit se jillimita, taħt is-sistema tas-sigurta’ soċjali, il-benefiċċji li ħaddiema Maltin jieħdu taħt il-liġijiet tar-Renju Unit, għaliex m’għandux isir l-istess fil-konfront ta’ studenti Ingliżi li jiġu jistudjaw Malta? Studenti Maltin li jmorru jistudjaw fir-Renju Unit iridu jħallsu fl-Universitajiet Ingliżi għax is-sistema Ingliża hija hekk. Imma jekk studenti mir-Renju Uniti jiġu jistudjaw fl-Universita’ ta’ Malta, dawn ma jħallsux miżati għax f’Malta l-Universita’ hija b’xejn. Jekk il-ħaddiema Maltin mhux se jibbenefikaw mis-sistemi Ingliżi tas-sigurta’ soċjali, għaliex l-istudenti Brittaniċi għandhom jibbenefikaw mis-sistema edukattiva Maltija?” staqsa Dr. Sant.
Mistoqsijiet bħal dawn se jitqajmu fil-ġimgħat li ġejjin fil-Parlament Ewropew u fl-Ewropa. Dawn il-mistoqsijiet għandhom jiġu evalwati u analizzati, qal Dr. Sant.
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