Human rights NGOs have taken issue with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s claim that public sentiment towards migrants was shifting in the wake of Lassana Cisse’s murder, insisting far more needs to be done.
Dr Muscat said at a campaign event in Ħamrun on Monday, after two Armed Forces of Malta soldiers were charged with the racially-motivated murder of the Ivorian migrant on April 6, he “sensed a shift in the public mood” after the attack.
“If it were acceptable last week to tolerate people venting far-right comments on the media, it is not acceptable anymore. Jokes or perceived jokes that would have made people laugh until last week are no longer acceptable,” Dr Muscat said.
But speaking to the Times of Malta, Aditus director Neil Falzon said he saw no evidence of such a shift.
“There was a widespread sentiment of shock and condemnation but, at the same time, we still have people commenting negatively about migrants and saying horrible things about the incident itself,” he said.
He criticised the institutional response in the immediate aftermath of the murder, including the Prime Minister’s reluctance to ascribe a racist motivation to the attack.
“Like all similar incidents, this…
