Somali immigrants apply for refugee status

The 67 Somali immigrants who arrived in Malta illegally last week have applied for refugee status and most of the 17 immigrants claiming to be Palestinians now say they are Egyptians and want to return home, police sources said yesterday.

The police and the Egyptian Embassy are in contact to verify the identity of the illegal immigrants and it is hoped they will be repatriated later this week.

The Somalis are expected to be granted refugee status or some form of protection, which means they will be given a permit to live and work in Malta because of the situation in their homeland.

Somalis have been fleeing the country in droves over the past 13 years since the outbreak of a civil war in 1991.

After January 1991, when former Somali President Siad Barre was forced out of power, the situation in Somalia degenerated, as rival clan factions vied for power.

The fighting continued and as the Somali government collapsed in 1991 there are no recognised authorities to restore order. The strife has resulted in the deaths of at least 300,000 Somalis and another 300,000 are estimated to have fled. Over 80 per cent of these refugees are women and children. More than 5,000 Somalis sought asylum in Britain last year, by far the highest number from a single country.

The Somalis that arrived in Malta came in four boats over a span of three days last week.

Evidence gathered by aid agencies working from nearby Kenya suggest that rape, kidnappings and banditry are endemic in Somalia and that returning refugees were judged to be particularly at risk because they are thought to have money earned during their time abroad.

Simone Wolken, a spokesman for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said the situation in Somalia had deteriorated and that "the culture of violence, weapons and disrespect for life have become more prevalent.

"Lives continue to be threatened by violence, crime, clan feuds, lack of justice as well as poverty. Furthermore, humanitarian agencies have real problems gaining access to many areas. Militia loyal to different strongmen succeed one another in a perpetual move to establish a sustainable control of certain areas," he said.

Because of the fighting, internally displaced persons are unable to return to their dwellings because of prevailing insecurity and the fear of possible renewal of fighting.