5

Emigration to North Africa

In the nineteenth century, increasing population in became one of the chief problems besetting Maltese society. Malta was simply too miniscule to feed its teeming population and the solution of emigration began to be mooted.1

In those far-off days the destination of the Maltese was the Mediterranean coastlands both North and South. Overwhelmingly, Maltese migrants chose the Islamic lands where they could join the flood of European migrants who, in those colonial times, set their eyes on the opportunities offered by Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and .

The pattern of immigration increased or decreased as a response to economic conditions at home and in 1841, Algeria with 54% led the number of migrants who were afforded settlement within its borders, followed by with 17%, Egypt 15% and Tripoli with 2.5%. Other factors which affected immigration were plague, political events and religious intolerance. Preference for Algeria followed in the wake of the French occupation there, not the least being the role of Cardinal Lavigerie who proclaimed himself “le grand ami de Maltais”.2 Algeria was “Un territoire qui avait besoin de bras, un territoire qui assurait travail et protection.”3

Later in the century (1868) Egypt replaced Algeria as the prime destination for Maltese migrants as the Suez Canal shortened the route to India and the Far East drastically.4 and Port Said became the homes of thousands of Maltese immigrants employed in the shipyards which ironically “had indirectly helped to bring Malta’s economic boom and trade monopoly to an end.”5 The Maltese migrants are described in contemporary journals as “known for their foul language and that the French in North Africa referred to them as swearers.”6 According to Herbert Ganado “in 1830 there were about 1,500 Maltese in .”7

Maltese emigration to Tripoli was considerable.8 In effect they had a stable existence there till 1911 when the Italians invaded this North African Turkish dominion. They returned to Malta in large numbers to avoid this catastrophe.9 In Tunis there were over 13,000 Maltese in 1921. These were offered French nationality by the colonial administration. According to Hichem Skik “there was natural contact between the Maltese and the native Tunisians, the being of Arabic origin. Also, the Maltese immigrants were in the same social class.”10 The community of Porto Farina in Tunis, which we can take

1 As a matter of fact, “The idea of emigrating Maltese ‘surplus polpulation’ to other countries began to haunt British economic thinkers as early as 1825. It was, in the view of some of them, the only answer to the mass unemployment which was then threatening disastrous trends in the economy following the long years of Napoleonic Wars. They had great trust in the ‘prolific’ and ‘industrious’ Maltese worker and believed that, given the right incentives and opportunities, he could easily integrate with the new environment and prosper.” (P. MIZZI, Maltese Emigration: The Economic Background 1800-1842, in Heritage 60 [Malta] 1192.) Notwithstanding all this, such good intentions and new thinking were of little benefit when materialised. Indeed: “From evidence collected by Ramiro Barbaro and published in Il Mediterraneo of 15 August 1880 the British Consuls in Africa and the Levant were ‘despotic’ and ‘heartless lords’, who delighted in sadistic activities against the Maltese.” (Ibid, 1194.) 2 M. DONATO, L'EMIGRATION DES MALTAIS EN ALGERIE AU XIXeme SIECLE, Montpellier 1985, 110. 3 Ibid, 111. 4 F.L. BOUGEYA, The Maltese in Egypt - And Education an Open Letter - and some Relative Facts, in The Sunday Times of Malta (Malta, 23.7/1939) 17-18; C.M. DE VELLA-CLARY, The Education of the Maltese in Egypt: Some Interesting Facts and Sidelights on the Subject, in The Sunday Times of Malta (Malta, 15/10/39) 8, 10; Echoes from Egypt, in The Sunday Times of Malta (Malta, 10/12/39) 14; Echoes from Egypt, in The Sunday Times of Malta (Malta, 7/1/1940) 3; Echoes from Egypt, in The Sunday Times of Malta (Malta 14/1/1940 3; Echoes from Egypt, in The Sunday Times of Malta (Malta, 24/3/1940) 13; Echoes from Egypt, in The Sunday Times of Malta (Malta, 28/4/1940) 10; Malta’s Sons - Christmas in Egypt, in The Sunday Times of Malta (Malta, 9/2/1941); Songs of Malta at Alexandria, in The Sunday Times of Malta (Malta, 4/1/1942) 7; Kumpens ghal proprejta’ tal-Maltin fl-Egittu, in L-Orizzont (Malta, 1/4/1993) 6. 5 L.E. ATTARD, Early Maltese Emigration (1900-1914), Malta 1983, 2. 6 Ibid, 5. 7 H. GANADO, Rajt Malta Tinbidel, Malta 1974, 60. 8 Maltese in Libya, in The Sunday Times of Malta (Malta, 9/2/1941) 1. 9 Ibid, I, 61. 10 H. SKIK, Les Maltais en Tunisie, in Proceedings of the first Congress on Mediterranean Studies of Arabo-Berbere Influence (Malta, 1973) 83. as an example, was formed between 1840 and 1890 by the amalgamation of Maltese families from Malta and Algeria. It was used by the Tunisians as an intermediary with the French community even though no profound assimilation took place.11 Conditions were thought to have been favourable for the Arabization of the Maltese in Tunisia. “However, although the Maltese spoke a language the vocabulary of which was borrowed from Tunisian, and despite the acculturation of food, bodily hygene, habitat, superstition and folklore, they did not regard themselves as Arabs.”12 This state-of-affairs is attributed to the religious ideology of the Maltese, “which prevented them from being Arabicised”.13 The author attributes this to the importance which the parish priests exercised in these communities.14

Several distinguished Maltese personalities had connexions with North Africa during the period under consideration. Among them one must mention Laurent Ropa, born in Xaghra, Gozo and an emigrant to French Algeria in 1893. Ropa (born Rapa) made a name for himself in French literary circles but still emphasised his Maltese origin. His autobiographical Le Chant de la Noria (1932) won him the Prix de la Societe National d’Encouragement au Bien and his literary achievement has been summed up as “an epitome of Maltese nationalism”.15 Another illustrious Gozitan, Ninu Cremona, playwright and grammarian, also had intimate connexion with the Maghrib. He was taken to Tunis in 1885 and lived there till 1888 when he was eight. He attended the College de La Salle and the College of St. Charles while domiciled there.16 Amadeo Preziosi the Maltese painter, made a career in Islamic lands, notably Turkey but he was active also in Egypt.17 Father Manwel Magri S.J., a pre-eminent folklorist, also had connexion with Tunis where he went to preach Lenten sermons to the Maltese communities in Susa and Sfax.18 The radical personality Manwel Dimech, likewise was closely in touch with North Africa whence he was exiled to Egypt in 1914 and where he died in 1921.19 Finally, we must note the activities of Fr. Indri Schembri20 who devoted his energies to helping Maltese emigrants to establish themselves on the North African mainland, especially in Algiers. He composed and published a book of Maltese religious hymns for use by Maltese settlers, among which there is that most popular Christmas Carol “Ninni, la tibkix iżjed”.21

One may conclude from the foregoing that the countries of North Africa had constant and highly productive communications with the Maltese Islands. This influence had its grassroots elements; affording an outlet for Malta’s teeming population where the Maltese could find opportunities for employment and business lacking in their homeland. The returning migrants, of which there was a considerable proportion, could draw on their experience to widen their , not simply their geographical horizons. They could also redefine their European bias against the Muslim “Other”, so evident in its North African environment. Enlightenment for some, could also mean an entrenchment for prejudice in others: the Muslim stereotype, gleaned from legends and , could be reinforced through personal experience.

11 C. CAMILLERI, Une communaute maltaise en Tunisie entre les groupes arabo-berbere et francais, in Proceedings of the first Congress on Mediterranean Studies of Arabo-Berbere Influence (Malta, 1973) 406. 12 C. SAMMUT, La minorite maltaise de Tunisie: ethnie arabe ou europeenne? in Proceedings of the first Congress on Mediterranean Studies of Arabo-Berbere Influence (Malta, 1973) 424. 13 Ibid, 424. 14 Ibid, 424. 15 PORTRAIT GALLERY, Laurent Ropa, in Heritage 11 (Malta, 1978) 221; see also: A.F. RIGOUD, ibid, 13. 16 F. VELLA HABER, Ninu Cremona, in Heritage, 19 (Malta, 1979) 367. 17 P. MIZZI, Amadeo Preziosi, in Heritage, 42 (Malta, 1982) 827-829. 18 S. MALLIA, Manwel Magri, in Heritage, 43 (Malta, 1982) 843. 19 H. FRENDO, Manwel Dimech: A Biography, in Heritage, 16 (Malta, 1978) 301-304. 20 [1805-1875]. 21 PORTRAIT GALLERY, Fr. Indri Schembri, in Heritage, 28 (Malta, 1979) Backpage.