An email from a Maltese medical specialist working for the NHS in England

Dear Daphne,

I have been following with great interest your contributions on the recent tragic Brexit result. Your column in The Malta Independent yesterday (Sunday), highlighting the relevance this has on us Maltese living here is spot on.

The last few weeks here have been quite hard. Many of us Europeans took this vote quite personally. The pre-referendum debate, as well as the illusion of many Leave voters that the UK was out of the EU on the 24th of June, has unleashed a very nasty animal.

Racism and xenophobia are making their presence felt, which was unheard of in this most politically correct of nations. It is quite extraordinary seeing Remainers wanting to apologise to us on behalf of their nation, while Leavers seem to look at you in the eye questioning why you’re still here. I’m pretty sure this is not just paranoia.

The future of the citizens of other EU member states here now seems to be the pawn in politicians’ hands. In the meantime nobody seems to want to take any responsibility for the implications of Brexit. I can only think of one expression – ‘si salvi chi puo`.

On the other hand, various groups (Stronger In, Lib Dems, New Europeans, many politicians from across the spectrum, etc) are putting pressure on the government to safeguard our position and our acquired rights in this country.

It is to be seen what will happen next, and whether, as has been mentioned, the vote to have the UK leave the European Union may be reversed by a second referendum or a general election once the EU/UK negotiations have been finalised. One lives in hope.

I would have hoped that the battle fought in Malta in 2004 to become EU members would have been the fight of a lifetime, but obviously not. In the meantime, thank you for your contributions and keep up your good work.

(name supplied)