Ariadne Massa
'People were dragging one another under the water'
Kofi Charles was one of just eight survivors.
On August 28, Europe's eyes were on the Mediterranean as eight illegal immigrants were rescued from a submerged dinghy - 70 others remain missing in one of the worst tragedies off Malta. Ariadne Massa spoke to a survivor.
Kofi Charles sits alone in a big, bare room. His arms are clasped in prayer on the table and when he looks up a tear hangs from the corner of his eye, threatening to roll down.
Outside the isolated interview room at the Safi Barracks, two burly detention guards stand in the heat, watching over the man from Ghana.
Mr Charles, 28, extends a feeble handshake as he wipes his eyes with a crumpled tissue that has absorbed so many tears it has begun to disintegrate.
The trauma of helplessly watching his 24-year-old wife drown, together with 70 other Africans, has left him so fragile that each time he tries to recollect the incident he taps his head, as if to jog his memory, and his swollen, red eyes swell with tears.
"Sometimes I hear my wife calling my name. I miss her so much. I pray to God to give me strength," he says, breaking down into wracking sobs, and turning his head away, embarrassed to be crying in front of a stranger.
Barely a week has passed since his traumatic crossing on a rubber dingy from Libya - their destination was Italy - so the vivid memories are clearly replaying in his mind.
Mr Charles is one of eight survivors rescued at sea 70 kilometres off Malta by a Maltese fishing vessel, the Madonna di Pompei. It was initially unclear how many were on board with figures ranging from 10 to 70. But Mr Charles is adamant that there were 78.
This tragedy, one of the worst of its kind recorded off Malta, prompted Pope Benedict XVI last Sunday to call for an effective political solution to deal with the human problems of illegal immigration from Africa to Europe.
"We were 78 people in the boat. We were not squashed like sardines, but the boat was still full," he says in broken English, as he recounts the story behind his journey.
Mr Charles left Ghana for Libya in late 2005 to escape the wrath of his wife's family, who were bent on converting him to Islam from Catholicism. The feud had reached a point where his brother-in-law once turned up with a machete and carved a 10-centimetre wound on his left elbow.
"The skin was flapping off the bone. We were fighting every day," he says, staring at the wide scar that looks badly stitched.
Soon after his daughter was born, his wife, fearing for his safety, encouraged him to escape, in the hope that she and her two children - now aged four and two-and-a-half - would one day join him.
He embarked on a journey to Libya, where he trained as a driver. His wife joined him nearly two years later, but left the children with his parents because she did not feel they would be safe making the journey.
His employers were underpaying him and seeing no hope of survival in Libya he sought the advice of a friend who put him in touch with a trafficker. The price was high - $1,200 per person - but Mr Charles borrowed and scrimped and got ready for the trip on August 21.
The voyage went smoothly at first, but on Monday the dinghy started taking in water. One hour before disaster struck, Mr Charles remembers kissing his wife on the cheek to put her mind at rest.
Mr Charles believes the rubber dinghy was somehow punctured and started losing air, but then he rambles on about the evil spirits that haunted their journey.
When the immigrants were in the sea, they all clamoured to survive: "The women were screaming and people were dragging one another under the water. I held my wife's hand high, but then I lost her."
"God, help me," he says, looking up at the ceiling and wiping his tear-streaked face with his T-shirt.
Mr Charles wishes he died instead of his wife, but he tries to persuade himself that God kept him alive to take care of his children.
The man's situation is a delicate one: If he is sent back to Ghana, he believes his wife's family will kill him, especially now that his wife is dead.
"My dream is that before I die I can build a few rooms for my children. I need help, please help me," he sobs, as he hobbles out to wait for the security van to take him back to his quarters.
As he waits, the detention guard, visibly moved by the man's predicament, asks him if he would rather wait seated in the cool room. But Mr Charles shakes his head, sniffles and focuses on the horizon, afraid of what his uncertain future has in store. "My life is dangerous now," he says.
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Denis Catania
Sep 8th 2008, 18:52
His wife had the common sense to leave the children behind. He should have had the same common sense and left his wife behind. He said they were trying to go to Italy. Now that we rescued them, let him go, so he can build those rooms for his kids. This story should be told to his countrymen and the one's waiting to leave SAFE LIBYA maybe it will deter this from happenings. The people who condone these voyages, have the blood of the victims on their hands.
Corinne Vella
Sep 8th 2008, 12:05
d. borg: "After all they share the same culture, religion etc with Libyans." 'Libyans" are not monocultural nor do they all profess the same religion. I imagine you are assuming all Libyans are Muslim. Several of the immigrants you denigrate are not.
d. borg
Sep 8th 2008, 09:27
The migrants come with no documents, they invent all kind of stories, they do not corraborate, so why should we believe them. They try to play on our emotions by bringing pregnant women and children. Sorry it doesn't work anymore. Since they had the money to pay for their voyage I presume they had a job in Libya so they should have stayed there. After all they share the same culture, religion etc with Libyans.
Sandro Pace
Sep 7th 2008, 20:48
As much as this is a sad story, No one will convince me that this is a refugee case, although the authorities may probably give him some sort of status cause they cant do otherwise.
Ghana is pretty much a stable country. The Muslim population stands only at some 16%. The rest are Christian (69%). Numbers belie that there is even any societal persecution against Christians. This is clear to all but the most naive. If there are religious pockets, he could have went to the Chrisitan part, if he so much feared.
Whatever, persecution by family in law (as mentioned) should not have made him come all the way to Malta.
What is being mentioned in this story is a familial case and nothing more, and a criminal one under Ghanian law, where he should have actually sought refuge. Rule of law in Ghana is relatively good.
Corinne Vella
Sep 7th 2008, 17:11
Malcolm Seychell" "Libya is a stable country". That's not saying much. Iraq was stable under Saddam Hussein, and so was Germany under Hitler.
John Azzopardi: "The issue of illegal immigration has nothing to do with racism or bigotry." Oh but apparently it does. Why else, when this interview was given by someone recently rescued at sea, do the secretary general of a right wing party and one of the party's shrillest most vociferous supporters, simply use it as a market stall for their rather ugly political wares? All is grist to their mill, it seems - even when a little compassion would not go amiss.
Louis Vella: Fleeing civil war is not the only grounds for recognition of refugee status. You seem to be pretty much clued about all sorts of details. How did you manage to miss that particular one?
a.cassar
Sep 7th 2008, 17:05
people like amanda come here to preach but stops short of giving us an example by taking in a couple of these unfortunates and feeding and bedding them at their expense not at the expense of other people.
unless you do this we will consider YOU a bigot.
Amanda Mallia
Sep 7th 2008, 15:58
Joanne Micallef - If your "religious blackmail" comment was in response to my original comment, then surely you have misunderstood it.
I, for one, don't see much point in going to mass myself to be surrounded by "holy" people whose views I know go very much against the very essence of humanity and christianity - caring about others, at the very least.
I am also sick of seeing people giving money so willingly to such "worhty causes" as abandoned animals, for example, and yet talkiing about the immigrants as though they are worse than the excrement of such animals. The two simply don't add up.
It is not "religious blackmail" - far from it, actually. I simply can't see how people can reconcile the fact that they have absolutely no respect for mankind, and yet see fit to act holy come Sunday. I sincerely believe that with religion you can't pick and chose the bits you like.
Corinne Vella
Sep 7th 2008, 14:49
Louise Vella: The Times is not a court of law.
Joanne Micallef: "Let their stories serve as a deterrent to others" you say? Your shrill comments do Azzjoni Nazzjonali, the 'party' you support no good, though they probably appeal to many people's basest instincts.
Incidentally, there is no such thing as religious blackmail, pathetic or otherwise. Nasty people are nasty whether they are religious or not, and regardless of which party they vote for and why they do that.
Carl Pol
Sep 7th 2008, 14:18
Some people do not unfortunetly know what refugee status is according to the UN charter.
According to The UN charter an individual is considered a refugee is if his /her live is in danger due to, political, religious or sexual leaning. And not only by gov. harasment but also by society or religious fanatism. I will not pass judgement on this story though.
Malcolm Borg
Sep 7th 2008, 14:08
@ Louise....
I wonder if you have an ounce of compassion in you but I don't think such a man should be cross-examined for details. He doesn't need to lie about anything...why should he? Will it make his life any easier? Perhaps people like you can be convinced that this is a human not a national problem if he lies? What if he came to Malta on a cruise ship with a cocktail in his hand and a model giving him a lapdance? He's detained, with no family, the memories of his lapdance making him cry and asking for the help of God and with other horrendous memories scarring him for life. Will that make you feel angrier? It doesn't change anything. He's a human and, I believe, he has gone through a massacre of a life. You and me have a lot of things to learn from these people. Be a world citizen before you're a Maltese one!
John Azzopardi
Sep 7th 2008, 13:55
To Amanda Mallia who posted comments below. The issue of illegal immigration has nothing to do with racism or bigotry. It has to do with your future, my future and my children as well as your's (if you have any). I ama ll in favor of doing our utmost to rescue these poor illegal souls, but not to keep them and feed them forever. Ask yourself this question. Would you take them and keep them in your house forever. These illegals are coming from Libya not from a country of famine. Lady, I hope you get your facts straight and this is a national issue not a church issue. Our conscience should be clean because we worked hard for what we have.
M.Gatt
Sep 7th 2008, 13:50
@ Joanne Micallef.
Thumbs up for your comment. I work in a company where redundancy is always the topic of the day. However, mentioning religion in our case would be stupid because we know that our company is not a religious institution.
This religion intrusion everytime we mention illegal immigrants is pathetic.
Malcolm Seychell
Sep 7th 2008, 13:23
A non Muslim in Ghana will not be allowed to marry a muslim woman usually so I will hardly believe this story.
Libya is a stable country, so these are risking their life for practically nothing.
The only benefit they will have in europe is that here we have social welfare free for all paid by our taxes while in Libya they won't
Sandro Pace
Sep 7th 2008, 13:15
Some points re. this interview cannot not be mentioned. First of all this is not a persecution case. Malta cannot also cater for Africa's social and familial problems. This is a familial problem and nothing else. Ghana should have been big enough to seek shelter elsewhere.
Everyone can claim to be persecuted by his father-in-law.
Secondly, knowing the circumstances, he should not have married a Muslim. There are problems with inter-faith marriage, and the Church discourage them.
Thirdly, by taking this unnecessary trip, his situation became worse than before, and as they usually end, "now I cannot go back".
a.cassar
Sep 7th 2008, 12:46
Although I am one of the persons who write against the arrival of illegals I never uttered one single word against the migrants themselves. my attacks (and I'm using the word purposely) are against those barbarian traffickers who are getting filthy rich on the misery of these people. Amanda true to form did not miss the opportunity to bring in religion.
I'm sure that along with the 'bigots' queuing to receive holy communion there will also be those who are encouraging, aiding and abetting the traffickers by their way of thinking. Mr. Charles left Libya (where he had a job) because his bosses were underpaying him. What is his situation here? is it better or worse? Once he had made it to Libya he was safe from his in laws. His problem doesn't entitle him to refugee status as the threat was coming from members of his wife's family not from the government of Ghana. if ever person with a personal problem were to seek illegal entry into another country the world would be turned upside down. So the main reason for the journey was to seek a better job elsewhere.
Joanne Micallef
Sep 7th 2008, 12:09
When we go out to vote we do so to elect a Goverment not a religious institution. Like with all the high powered jobs one has to accept the good that comes with such a position as well as the bad. I don’t think that any company director out there enjoys having to make someone redundant, especially if that person happens to be the breadwinner in the family, yet if that is what has to be done to ensure the employment of many others, than no matter how catholic or religious that company director is, he has to honour his commitment and let the employee go.
Stop the pathetic religious blackmail, if our Prime Minister is not up to it than he is clearly not the right man for the job and should do the honourable thing and step down from his position
louise vella
Sep 7th 2008, 12:07
This is another interview recounting unverifiable stories told by one source only. If a Maltese person were to tell these stories before a court of law, he would be cross-examined until sweat is running down his face.
Some comments:
“the man from Ghana”: is Ghana in the midst of a civil war, whose citizens qualify for refugee status?
“70 others remain missing”; “70 other Africans”; “Mr Charles is adamant that there were 78”: so just because Mr Charles is adamant we all have to believe him. The only source we have heard about the numbers are the illegal immigrants themselves. Have illegal immigrants ever told the truth about the traffickers in human beings that operate in Libya? The reports of the Maltese Refugee Commissioner remark that one of his problems is the false documents and stories he receives.
The purpose of the interview is a bit too transparent from these phrases:
“a tear hangs from the corner of his eye, threatening to roll down”; “a crumpled tissue that has absorbed so many tears”; “ red eyes swell with tears”; “ wiping his tear-streaked face”; “he sobs”.
Amanda Mallia
Sep 7th 2008, 11:14
Today being a Sunday, I wonder whether all the bigots are at mass praying for the redemption of their own souls, only to go back home and post horrible racist comments on this site.
Any person with an ounce of compassion reading this story could never pass any such comments.
Joanne Micallef
Sep 7th 2008, 10:51
No matter how heart breaking their story is, if they fail to get asylum they are to be sent back to their respective countries no ifs and no buts. Let their stories serve as a deterrent to others.