Lisa Gwen Baldacchino
Isle Landers at Palazzo Ferreria
Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi.
The pained expression and tear-stained cheeks of a young child is a powerful image to dwell upon, especially when it is the face of a stricken child captured at the moment of separation from her mother on landing in Malta in a boat of migrants.
The young girl's face told the story of her party's landing when 183 immigrants were rescued off Malta in mid-July.
This is but a single subject presented by The Times photojournalist Darrin Zammit Lupi in a photographic exhibition, aptly titled Isle Landers, and which will be launched tomorrow for Notte Bianca at Palazzo Ferreria (the Ministry of Social Policy), opposite the Opera House ruins in Republic Street, Valletta.
Mr Zammit Lupi is presenting 18 photos, taken over the past three years both for The Times and Reuters and which deal with the landings of migrants and asylum seekers in Malta.
This ongoing photo reportage documents different aspects and stages of migration, from the rescues at sea, to the landing and arrival, and life in detention and open centres.
Mr Zammit Lupi does not alter his photographs in any way, nor are any of the images staged. He does, however, make excellent use of intricate and delicate plays of light and shade, often achieving dramatic results.
In fact, narrow shafts of light are often the only means of discerning the happening in the photograph.
At times a pair of eyes shine out, at the spectator and at others gestures and actions dominate the larger part of the pictorial surface.
In fact, his frames are on occasion packed from corner to corner or conversely they can be almost minimalist.
In one instance, the photograph almost looks like an abstract work and only on close inspection do limbs, clothes and faces become immediately evident.
The exhibition includes some of Mr Zammit Lupi's most memorable photographs and also those which have caused many newspaper readers to stop, stare and ponder the situation of these people arriving and living in our country.
One particular work has even been exhibited worldwide and has earned him an award in a competition held by the Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE).
The exhibition is organised by Appoġġ, the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, as part of its project on the integration of asylum seekers into Maltese society.
This project is financed by the EU. The exhibition will run till next Friday.
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14 Comments
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Julie Grech
Oct 4th 2008, 02:09
these people live in pitiful conditions, but its their own supposed democratic, corrupt governments who do them wrong, BUT escaping to Europe will not solve the problem!!!
It is also true that part of the problem was caused by European colonialists in the past, but I can't see them jumping up and down to 'volunteer' to take them off our hands. So why should we stay lumped up with the problem?
There is also a great need to discern those who are well and truly legitimate refugees, if this happening? Or does everyone fall into that category after an amount of time has elasped? Is there anywhere where the average Maltese citezen can get (unbiased & unfrilled) detailed information about the procedure followed by the local authorities as soon as an illegal immigrant arrives in Malta so that we are not left floundering in the dark over such issues?
I think most of the angst experieced by the population at large is the lack of correct, clear information and a definate plan to resolve or alleviate the problem.
Julie Grech
Oct 4th 2008, 01:56
@ E. Grech
comments like yours make my blood boil. Firstly when Maltese people immigrated they did so LEGALLY and in those times, pastures were all but green for them. Many had menial jobs and had to work their way up slowly and painfully in society. They were also subjected to harsh discrimination by the 'white' residents even though they were here legally and keeping themselves allive and a roof over their heads by WORKING for it.
I have been in Australia as a returning resident for three months now and it was no pleasure cruise. Even though I'm a citizen, I could not claim any social support benefits till I found a job before I resign from the job I still held (without pay) in Malta. And yet these people invade our country illegally, with no papers whatsoever (to at least prove they are escaping a persecuting country) and we hand out the cash, the phone cards, refurbish their residences etc etc.
I have been to Ethiopia and its true,
l Galea
Oct 3rd 2008, 17:44
@Malcolm Borg
do-gooders is a sarcastic comment Malcolm, because they are preferring ILLEGAL immigrants over their own countrymen.
Malcolm Borg
Oct 3rd 2008, 14:23
Why do people refer to people with an inclusive point of view as a 'do gooder'? Are people who think otherwise 'do badder'? If they think themselves as such, I'd rather have do gooders as my fellow citizens.
a.cassar
Oct 3rd 2008, 13:55
As for St. paul being an illegal migrant. nothing can be further from the truth. St. paul was shipwrecked on a Roman colony. The 'maltese' of that time had no other option but to rescue him since he was travelling to Rome under roman guard on a Roman ship. what would have happened to paul had he been travelling on a ship belonging to an enemy of rome? furthermore, he stayed for three months and then continued his trip to rome. so there is absolutely no comparison with the illegal migrants arriving now.
B Borg
Oct 3rd 2008, 13:40
Maltese emigrants had to work very hard to earn a living and settle down elsewhere, legally.
The illegals coming to Malta have no form of identification whatsoever. Yet, the government is handing out everything to them for free, when most Maltese citizens are having to work ever harder just to make ends meet. I don´t pity them. Period.
Charles Sammut
Oct 3rd 2008, 13:10
@ E Grech
You forgot to mention St. Paul's shipwreck.
The do-gooders always insist that St Paul was also an illegal immigrant and since it was an illegal immigrant who did so much good by converting the heathen islanders to Christianity, then by default all illegal immigrants are beneficial to us.
What warped logic!
a.cassar
Oct 3rd 2008, 12:37
@ E grech stop making comparisons between Maltese LEGAL emigrants and ILLEGAL migrants. When my relatives emigrated to Australia they had to pass through a grueling regime. They had to pass a medical test, had to prove that they had accomodation when they got there, had to prove that they would not be a burden on the australian system and they also had to seek out work as soon as they arrived. we are not resentful of the lesser fortunate as you call them. we are just preoccupied that in a few years' time we will be the ones who are less fortunate in our own land.
Chris Ebejer
Oct 3rd 2008, 12:15
E.Grech , you can feel ashamed of the comments as much as you like but in this democratic country which counts only the majority the Maltese people have all the right to feel betrayed and invaded by these people !
Nor pictures or any kind of other propaganda can change the public opinion of the Maltese towards these unwanted and yes the lesser fortunate are us the Maltese who against our will we are subsidizing a criminal act. He who ever enters illegally in Malta is committing a crime.
Charles Sammut
Oct 3rd 2008, 11:30
..../contd
Later, on the Peshawar - Islamabad highway our car was approached several times by young children begging for money. They all had one thing in common. Their right arm was amputated above the elbow. The advice I got was to ignore them because it was their own parents who did this to them and giving them money only encouraged more of the same. I found it very difficult to look the other way and ignore them. But I did.
Likewise parents who put their infants on unseaworthy boats very often have an ulterior motive. As do 8 month pregnant women who embark on these trips are using their pregnancy as a means to an end.
This mentality does not change much even after these immigrants settle in Europe. Children are used to obtain larger houses. They will still all sleep in one room but use the extra room to rent out to other immigrants or to store the counterfeit knick-knacks they sell on the pavements.
So one must learn to get shocked at one's own risk.
Charles Sammut
Oct 3rd 2008, 11:11
What many people do not seem to understand is that different cultures put different values on human life.
100 years ago, infant mortality in Malta was so high that there were white carriages to carry the small white coffins which were a common sight. It was an accepted fact of life that X% of infants would die. Today, an infant death makes news.
The same cannot be said for the African continent. In Sierra Leone 157 babies out of every 1000 live births do not make it to 1 year. This is by no means a one off. I remember about 10 years ago I was sightseeing on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border and there was a large piece of land with many bamboo canes with coloured rags flapping in the wind. The ground was covered with small mounds of stones. I asked my guide what was the significance of that. It was a cemetery. I remarked that most of the graves were very small. His nonchalant reply was that it was normal for many children to die very young. I was aghast. ......../contd
l Galea
Oct 3rd 2008, 10:57
@E. Grech
Mr do-gooder, Maltese migrants were LEGAL not ILLEGAL immigrants.
Maltese LEGAL migrants went to those countries that wanted and needed immigration due to their labour shortage and had to correctly submit to health checks before being considered for immigration, so stop comparing Maltese migrants with the ILLEGAL immigrants.
E. Grech
Oct 3rd 2008, 10:42
What a wonderful idea! Such photos could perhaps drive the message home that illegal immigrants are also human beings with feelings. I sometimes feel asahmed to read some of the comments left by other readers on the Times' pages ... can they really feel so resentful towards the lesser fortunate and forget the droves of Maltese (probably including their own relatives) that were forced to emigrate in harsh conditions to seek greener pastures on distant shores?
Would it be possible to view the exhibition online after it closes? I'm sure it's something those of us not being able to visit in person would appreciate.
Thanks
l Galea
Oct 3rd 2008, 09:46
The vast majority of the Maltese population does NOT want integration of ILLEGAL immigrants.
Politicians, you are disregarding and contempting us now.
We shall disregard and contempt YOU in all elections.