Legalising them would ensure that they, as well as the businesses employing them, pay their taxes so yes in that case it would be immensely beneficial to the US economy.

It is not immediately clear that the same arguments would apply to Malta to the same degree however.

But even if the economic arguments did also apply for Malta (which they don’t, at least not completely), one has to also consider other aspects besides economics.

The US is a nation of immigrants. From its very inception it has been designed as such and is geared towards the integration of immigrants of widely diverse cultural backgrounds. Even so it has huge problems of racial discrimination and violence.

Malta, by contrast, even ignoring the important size difference, is also in practice inhabited by a race of immigrants. But the difference is that the Maltese do not consider themselves such. Neither the institutions, not the forma mentis of the population at large have ever been geared towards integration of large volumes of people with diverse cultural backgrounds, the way those in the US have.

I think that there is a much longer way to go in Malta than in the US until immigration and foreign cultures become accepted and different arguments will need to be used. Most of all, unless there is clear sense of direction from the political class the situation will only continue to get worse.

At the moment, the sense of direction from the goverment has been opposite to immigration and integration. This has quickly eroded the results borne by the slight, half-hearted efforts of the previous administration in moving towards the inevitable.

The situation, right now, is far from good I’m afraid.

No, but he’ll make damn sure to try and stop the “najtmers wen dij nejvij kolls him.”

Or the nightmares he gets when he observes what his cabinet of weapons-grade idiots is doing.

Those whose application is rejected get a temporary work permit so they can support themselves while waiting to be deported.

But will he wake up and smell the coffee?

‘Illegal’ immigrants don’t pay into anything. In the UK people are realising that too and UKIP is in for a big win.

[Daphne – Africans working in Malta are not illegal immigrants. They have refugee status and are entitled to work. Those found to have illegal status, when their asylum application fails, are deported.]

http://www.rai.tv/dl/RaiTV/programmi/media/ContentItem-bc2f93be-24d1-454b-9457-ae43846d1146.html