WE WILL hear a lot about illegal immigrants, asylum seekers and political refugees in the coming months. They featured prominently in the budget debate, with a significant number of deputies speaking of the dangers posed to our society and castigating the government’s policy of tolerance on immigration. All views, apart from those of AKEL deputies were negative, focusing primarily on the state benefits collected by immigrants.
It was not the first time these views had been expressed in the legislature, and we are certain to hear them, even more frequently, in the coming months. There are parliamentary elections in May and the immigration issue is seen by more and more deputies as a certain vote-winner. It is a safe issue, on which public opinion is united and cynical deputies will try to make the most of it as they fight for re-election. Nothing they say – no matter how extremist or racist – will count against them as it will reflect the feelings of the overwhelming majority of the population.
It is no coincidence that the extremist nationalist ELAM (National Popular Movement) has applied to be registered as a political party. The movement, labelled racist by most political parties, could contest the parliamentary elections, hoping to exploit society’s xenophobic sentiments. We hope that the election campaign does not degenerate into competition among candidates, over who is the toughest on illegal immigrants and asylum seekers, because this would exacerbate xenophobia and, worse still, could encourage more racist violence.
Taxed to the hilt
EVERY TIME petrol prices go up, the news media make a big fuss, question the decision of the oil companies and ask the commerce minister Antonis Paschalides whether the petrol companies were ‘profiteering’. Paschalides informs us that the ministry was investigating the price hike to establish whether it was justified and the matter is forgotten until the next time there is a price rise.
There was no need to investigate the big hike in the price of heating oil which is estimated to cost the average household and extra €500 to €700 this winter. This is because the government decided to scrap the tax discount of 10.3 cent per litre it had given the previous two years. This is another tax that can be added to the extra taxes people will have to pay. To the higher taxes for food, medicine, tobacco we can now add the tax hike on heating fuel, not to mention the higher water and electricity rates we will all have to pay from January.
We can only hope that the high winter temperatures will hold because if they drop many families will be left with zero disposable income after they pay all their monthly bills. Perhaps Paschalides would order his technocrats to investigate how a family on a modest income will be able make ends meet in 2011.
