‘We Deserve Better’: Nationalist MPs React To Foreign Police Presence

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The debate over the presence of Italian police officers patrolling Malta’s tourism hotspots shows no signs of slowing down and now Nationalist Party MPs Alex Borg and Darren Carabott have weighed in with sharp criticism of the government’s approach.Alex Borg, PN leader candidate, said the authorities had promised high-quality tourism, but instead delivered “chaos,” pointing to widespread public disorder, litter, noise and inconvenience to residents.“They had to import police to control the mess,” he wrote.“No plan, no control — just demotivated Maltese officers and a population left to deal with the consequences.”Borg expressed solidarity with residents and local councils in San Ġiljan, Swieqi, Tas-Sliema, San Pawl il-Baħar, Gżira, Valletta, Mellieħa, Marsalforn and Xlendi — all areas heavily impacted by tourism during the summer months.Darren Carabott, the PN’s spokesperson for home affairs, took things a step further, accusing the government of giving up on the local police force altogether.“We’ve hit rock bottom,” he said. “The government’s solution to losing control of public safety in tourist zones is to bring in foreign police? Is this a declaration of failure?”Carabott said the Maltese police should be empowered, not sidelined, and reiterated the PN’s call to increase investment in the local force.“This government brought the wrong kind of tourism and now doesn’t know how to handle it,” he said. “A Nationalist government would put Maltese police first and bring back proper law and order.”Earlier Lovin Malta reported how Italian officers had joined Maltese police patrols in Paceville, Sliema and Buġibba as part of a bilateral agreement with Italy. Officials said the aim was to offer better communication with Italian nationals, but the move sparked controversy over sovereignty, resources, and the state of Malta’s tourism model.Do you agree with their statements?•