Immigrant women's stories 'a con'

The government yesterday denied claims made by two "homeless" immigrant women who are accompanied by their young children.

The Somali women's stories, which touched the hearts of readers and prompted several to offer help when it appeared on Saturday, were all a con, according to Alex Tortell, the director of the Organisation for the Integration and Welfare of Asylum Seekers.

Hodan Yusuf Omar had said she was sleeping in a public garden with her one-year-old daughter because her time in the open centre was up.

This claim was contested by Mr Tortell who said Ms Yusuf Omar had been asked to leave the Ħal Far open centre, where she had lived since June 2008, after stabbing another woman earlier this month.

Although the victim forgave her, the police are investigating and the case will eventually go to court, Mr Tortell said.

Other sources said that during her stay, Ms Yusuf Omar also received several warnings because she had allowed men into her room, which went against the centre's rules.

Attempts to contact Ms Yusuf Omar to establish if she was still living on the streets with her daughter proved futile but the authorities said she could be living with friends.

The second Somali, Zarah Houssein Apti, also made out to have been sleeping outdoors with her five-year-old son Abbas for three days but her claim was shot down by Mr Tortell.

He said Ms Houssein Apti had arrived in Malta in 2008. She then travelled to Italy and returned to Malta last Thursday.

On Friday, the same day she approached the media, she had contacted OIWAS for accommodation and was offered a room. However, she refused the room and left, Mr Tortell said.

The centre was ready to help former residents facing social or housing problems, Mr Tortell said, but it had never received any requests for help from either of the two women.

An open centre was not a permanent residence. Before the immigrants moved in, a service agreement was signed under which they agreed to a number of house rules and conditions.

The agreement was renewed every four months for up to a period of one year, Mr Tortell explained.

The service agreement was terminated if certain house rules were breached, such as by committing violent acts. Immigrants were not simply kicked out of the centre but given a number of warnings, he added.

Even when they were asked to leave, discussions were held with the centre's social workers to try and find a long-term solution for their future.

However, a clear message had to be sent out to the rest of the residents, Mr Tortell said.

Housing had to be provided for those leaving the detention centres. In fact, 70 immigrants were leaving such centres this week.

In 2008, 835 immigrants left the open centres voluntarily while the service agreements of 1,490 immigrants were not renewed.

If immigrants lived at the open centres permanently, then thousands would be left homeless: "An admission policy needs a termination policy."