Parliament apologises to Maltese child migrants
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Opposition leader Joseph Muscat this evening apologised to 315 Maltese child migrants for the suffering many of them endured after they migrated to Australia between 1950 and 1965.
The apology was issued during a statement in Parliament ahead of the Convention of the Maltese who live abroad, which opens in Malta on Sunday.
"As a mature society, we recognise that despite good intentions, there were many of these child migrants who underwent hardship. The government feels this is an appropriate moment for Parliament to apologise for the hardship which these Maltese brethren endured. We also wish to assure them of our respect for their achievements, and we rejoice at their successes," Dr Gonzi said.
He explained that at that time, Malta was still a colony going through hard times after emerging from the war. Young children (from Malta and other countries) had been transferred to Australia under a scheme launched by the Australian government.
The intentions were good since the purpose of the scheme was for the children to be given an education and a good future, Dr Gonzi said
He also recalled how two years ago he inaugurated a monument to the child migrants at the Valletta Waterfront, from where many of the children departed Malta.
The 310 Maltese child migrants were sent to Australia through the efforts of Maltese political and ecclesiastical authorities, with the consent of parents or guardians. It later emerged that they were forced to work in institutions and many were not educated. A number of them suffered physical and sexual abuse.
The governments of Australia and the UK, among others, have also apologised for the distress caused to the children.
In his statement, Dr Gonzi reiterated the government's commitment to support efforts by Maltese living abroad to promote Maltese language and culture. He said that during the convention, the government would announce measures with this purpose in mind.
He also listed initiatives taken to help Maltese emigrants, including the introduction of dual citizenship which had benefited 16,000 Maltese emigrants.
Opposition leader Joseph Muscat said the Opposition joined the government in the apology, even if the hardship called to the emigrants was not intentional.
He also stressed that the government should make every effort to help Maltese emigrants to promote Maltese language and culture abroad.
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Charles Sammut
Mar 11th 2010, 12:00
@ L Aquilina
It was thought at the time, that these children would have a better future in Australia than in Malta. This would probably have been true were it not for the fact that they ended up as fodder to satiate the perversities of members of the clergy charged with their "care". Hardly a day goes by without new and shocking revelations of child abuse in Catholic institutions all over the world. I have no doubt that this is just the tip of the iceberg because most victims are reluctant to come forward.
Dr Gonzi is perhaps apologising on behalf of the Catholic Church which is part and parcel of his government.
L Aquilina
Mar 11th 2010, 09:55
@R Sammut,
By the same token I think that all Maltese people whose ancestors suffered under the fiefdoms, the Knights of St John, the French and the British should all sue Dr Gonzi's government for compensation.
Mr. Sammut it must be hard to live with such a chip on one's shoulder!
My question was always, why did their parents allow this to happen?
Raymond Sammut
Mar 11th 2010, 13:13
It cannot be "the same token", clearly. The people you are referring to were grown ups, they were able to fight back, and they fought back. They would be able to sue only if their opponents resorted to actions which could be classified as war crimes.
Here we are dealing with cases --and a considerable number-- involving minors removed from their homes and transported to a distant land. The Australian government did exactly the same thing to Aboriginal children in their own land. Hundreds of aboriginal children were taken from their families against the wishes of aboriginal parents. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a separate official apology to Aboriginal peoples in Australia, as had done the Canadian government years earlier.
Whether Maltese parents allowed this to happen is highly arguable. Lawyers would have quite a bundle to unpack before the truth can be known. I would find it impossible to believe that Maltese parents had the slightest idea of what was to become of them and their children from whom they had been separated. What I find most revolting about this whole issue is the way the entire scheme had been highly orchestrated by both governments all along.
h galea
Mar 11th 2010, 08:15
These children/men want Justice not apologies.The Law applies every one. I expect more sense from both sides of parliament.When children/ people are hurt, its a night mere all their lives.We ask justice and jail.
Joe Grech
Mar 11th 2010, 00:20
How utterly shameful and despicable! We were unable to look after Malta's most vulnerable - children - properly. And now we apologise to them!
Raymond Sammut
Mar 11th 2010, 00:11
@ e. muscat
How was the intention good? If the intention was good, then why did Dr Borg Olivier oppose this practice?
An apology is just not good enough. In my view, it only adds insult to injury. Full compensation should be sought by all those affected both from the Maltese and the Australian governments. Both governments were jointly responsible for this heinous practice. I sincerely hope that the people affected can come together and seek legal advice, and successfully mount a legal case against these two governments at the earliest. The last people on earth that anyone should trust are these two current prime ministers: Mr Kevin Rudd and Dr Lawrence Gonzi. Their so called "apology" is, in my view, pathetic and sickening in the extreme.
e. muscat
Mar 10th 2010, 22:35
Given that the intentions were good. But who was responsible to monitor the scheme? The ecclesiastical authorities or the government? Facts show nobody did it in almost 25 years! Shame and Shame. Colony or no colony!
R. Caruana
Mar 10th 2010, 20:13
While such an apology is always welcome, one feels that the real apology regarding the question of child emigrants should be made by the Church of Malta. Then Prime Minister Gorg Borg Olivier, like Nerik Mizzi before him, was against the Church's plan to send child emigrants to Australia and did his best to resist it. Vide: Henry Frendo "Patriott Liberali Malti - Bijografija ta' Gorg Borg Olivier" pp.118-119.
Joseph Zammit
Mar 10th 2010, 19:30
Prof. Henry Frendo more than once mentioned the fact that in those far-off days there was at least one honourable member of parliament ( National Assembly ) who was dead against that child-migration scheme, and the hon. gentleman was Dr Gorg Borg Olivier, the father of independent Malta.