Christian Peregin
‘Thank you Malta’ – migrants
Running up and down a long hallway, dodging the adults like obstacles, the children are blissfully unaware they are being kept behind bars in a detention centre.
Despite the imposing cream-coloured gates, the padlocks that keep them tightly shut and the ubiquitous presence of soldiers, the Ħal Far detention centre still looks less like a prison and more like a crowded hostel.
Smiling men and women hand each other bread, milk and hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. Others wash their clothes in basins, hanging them to dry on the bars of their windows and using the same water to wash the floor of their bedrooms, each blockaded by bunk beds.
“Thank you, Malta government, you saved our lives. Thank you, soldiers, UN, police and government,” says Solomon Amerga, 28, as his infant son sits on his shoulders and drops bread crumbs all over his hair, seemingly oblivious to the traumatic boat journey he undertook.
Mr Amerga is one of around 1,100 migrants, including many women, children and newborns, who fled the conflict in Libya and arrived in Malta over the past few weeks – arrivals that the government has described as “different” to the ones before the conflict erupted.
The three-storey former barracks in Ħal Far, which was recently renovated during the two-year lull of migrant arrivals, is reserved for families and single women. Single men are kept in the Safi detention centre.
Out of the 370 migrants housed in Ħal Far, about 80 started to be released to the open centres yesterday, just over three weeks after arriving.
Despite the government’s policy to detain migrants for up to 18 months until their asylum request is processed, women and families, who are considered vulnerable, are allowed to leave much earlier, as soon as the necessary medical checks are made.
“It is taking some time, but we are being given everything we need,” one of the migrants says, grateful that the block has become less crowded and they have finally been given the facility to phone their families back home and assure them they survived the treacherous journey.
The general feeling is one of contentment, although some of the migrants have complaints, careful to sandwich their grievances between loaves of praise and gratitude. Some say the food is not what they are used to. Others say they have friends in Malta who want to bring over clothes and shampoo, but have not yet been allowed to do so.
Another complains that, although they were given phone cards, they were not taught how to use them, so their credit was wasted.
“Detention cannot make us happy, but we are very grateful. We never expected to be saved by Malta. It is such a tiny island,” says Ethiopian Dawit Metamu, 35, who worked as an English teacher in Libya.
“The situation in Libya was a nightmare. Every Libyan was armed,” Mr Metamu says, adding that black people became a target because of allegations of African mercenaries being flown in by Muammar Gaddafi’s government.
While Mr Metamu lived in Libya for five years, Ivorian national Gorgette Ameyaw had been there for less than a month. She reached Libya because she was fleeing the conflict in her own country, where one of her 10 siblings was shot dead.
She and her husband left their four children with her parents, who live in a village where the situation is not so volatile. But since their jobs were based in the city, they felt they had to flee to cope financially.
She said she would only return to Ivory Coast if the situation there settled down for a while. “Sometimes a fire becomes small for a while, but grows big again,” she said, referring to the fact that incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo had been captured.
“(The Maltese soldiers) have given us everything we need. They have been our mentors. But there are plenty of people like us, so we appeal to the whole world to help,” she added.
Others made similar appeals, with one saying the rest of Europe should follow in the footsteps of Malta and Italy in helping rescue those fleeing the violence. Malta is too small for everyone, they argued, echoing the concerns of many.
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Mr Joe Xuereb
Apr 21st 2011, 12:16
This colour thing, black or white. It is merely shorthand for a rather complex issue. Meaning, nobody is black black any more than I am white white. It's only a blanket word!
The tone of the article is manipulative, emotive. A pretty baby is a pretty baby even dropping crumbs on daddy's curls. Interesting that some complain the food is not what they're used to. Eat, and shut up! Whatever their eventual status, they're still here and now, needing feeding and lodging. And that costs money. Someone stupidly saw the silver lining in all this as much as saying that many Maltese would be out of a job but for these `scappati di casa'(escapees) - in yer face idiocy I call this - which many are, lest we forget. Many look to Italy and Europe and so it goes on. Problem solved?! Problem solved. Like not. For this is where the impressive 'numerus clausus' :)P nonsense comes into its own.
Quote: 'loaves of praise and gratitude'. Freudian slip there. Reminded me of the two loaves and three fish (or something) that fed 5000.
Quote: '.....there are plenty of people like us, so we appeal to the whole world to help'. And don't we know it. To these people 'the whole world' is the West, where streets are paved with gold. Never were and certainly not now.
Quote: 'hand each other bread, milk and hard-boiled eggs'. Someone forgot the Maltese honey. Milk and honey? island of? Geddit?! And so tiny too but doing what's expected of it. Until....such times.
Quote: 'arrivals that the government has described as “different” to the ones before the conflict erupted'. Bad reportage, Peregin?! So the ones that came before were undeserving? but they're still here - and that's the whole point - and beyond, being a burden to themselves and others.
Taking in deserving refugees has always been a fact. But this is different. It's a mistake to think the 'West' brought this on itself. Malta IS the West and if the West goes down, Malta will go down with it. Which is why many would divorce Malta from the EU. Thinking that neutrality would save the islet. I think not. The vulnerable newcomers show gratitude, just. When established enough, they'll call the shots. We see it happening even now, at this early stage......'we're not used to this food'.
Sure, hold the cute little babies, buy them shampoo. But don't be blind to the bigger picture as it unfolds. It's not guesswork. It's already here.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/unreported-world/articles/nigeria-sex-lies-black-magic-reporter-feature
J. Abela
Apr 21st 2011, 00:57
It's absolutely disgraceful that children are be kept in those conditions! They should be put in special schools where they can be educated and looked after properly! and yes I don't mind my taxes to be spent like that rather on some lazy Maltese coach potato who prefers to live on unemployment benefits instead of working!
Nik Xuereb Conti
Apr 20th 2011, 17:26
I am glad to see that many people are happy to be helping out the less fortunate and that the migrants are being treated well. Some of us may have some issues with numbers and taxes but I dont think its so important one realises that lives have been saved...
What if something happend to Malta and we were refused entry to another land? How would we feel? How would we feed our families?
Put your self into these peoples shoes...
Jesmond Micallef
Apr 20th 2011, 15:53
This is a very good news item. It promotes once again the plight of these people in jeopardy. Well done timesofmalta.com for this excellent reportage but also wish to air my support in spirit with the AFM and all those Maltese who are involved in this humanitarian effort. I wish these people, their families and children, the very best of luck.
Mr A Vella
Apr 20th 2011, 16:15
Ms Louise Vella stop talking about taxpayers, and start speaking about yourself when making such comments. You have no right to speak on my behalf, and I'm sure there are many others who think so. I'd rather give a helping hand to these unlucky immigrants than to armchair non-sense critics like you. If you are so unhappy go and pay your taxes elsewhere!!!
Well done Christian Peregin and the Times in doing all your best to show the true human aspect of events
Mr Matthew Saliba
Apr 20th 2011, 16:22
Ms Vella is politically incorrect herself by referring to them as 'illegal immigrats' since they are 'irregular immigrants'
Ms Louise Vella
Apr 20th 2011, 10:35
First of all, the author of this story is politically incorrect when he refers to black people: “ … adding that black people became a target because of allegations …” He should have written ‘people with a
dark skin colour’.
Secondly, I note from the article that Maltese taxpayers are paying for the soldiers and policemen who are responsible for the illegal immigrants; their food and phone cards; and the renovation of the barracks.
Sean Grima
Apr 20th 2011, 11:31
yes, so what?
Corinne Vella
Apr 20th 2011, 11:36
Referring to someone as 'black' is not politically incorrect, and I doubt the writer in question is going to take advice from Ms Vella.
Soldiers and policemen are tax payers too.
Victor Vella
Apr 20th 2011, 15:14
Ms Louise Vella
You are so negative that each time I see you name I remeber my car battery negative pole.Please do us all a favour and smile for once.All this political correctness is too much , if one calls a black person black it is the truth and if you cannot handle that just ignore it.
Mr Joe Micallef
Apr 20th 2011, 15:35
Louise Vella, it is politcally incorrect if you think black equates to some sort of wrong, which very obviously you do!
Leonid Mckay
Apr 20th 2011, 15:46
Ms Vella
Same old comments
Mr Mark Blackburn
Apr 20th 2011, 16:46
Why is it that there always have to be a moaner and groaner on these colums?
Quote :- He should have written ‘people with a dark skin colour'
you must be one of those that argued to change ba ba black sheep into ba ba rainbow sheep.
Black is Black. Call it what it is......What is the problem?
And please stop moaning that these people are being taken care of out of taxpayers money.
We have to pay taxes no matter what and I would much rather see it spent on people in need than any other stupid project that is ongoing at the moment.
Life is a gift that we seem to take too lightly as we have all the comodities we need.
Tax payers pay for all the scoundrels that abuse the system in Malta so showing a little compassion to people that are fleeing their war ravaged country is neither here nor there.
And regarding your second sentence
Its a vicious circle. Think of all the people that would be out of a job if these illegal imigrants did not arrive.
Stephen Koludrovic
Apr 20th 2011, 17:10
@ Mark Blackburn,
Sorry, but I,m thinking the opposite,Far too many people losing their jobs because of these immigrants.
All that the Maltese worker gained through so many years of toil is being very quickly eroded because of these illegals.
Sean Grima
Apr 20th 2011, 21:14
this koludrovic is one who then complains when immigrants don't work, saying they are lazy!
Louis Cassar
Apr 20th 2011, 10:11
Indeed the question is how many illegal immigrants Malta can take? In a such a small place there must a limit. We can say to our EU partners "sorry guys we just can't take anymore of them"
Stephen Koludrovic
Apr 20th 2011, 16:03
Should you wish to have a final count, you can calculate 1billion africans less about 4 million South African white farmers.
Ms Louise Vella
Apr 20th 2011, 09:53
The fact that illegal immigrants say "Thank you, Malta" is, indeed news. So few of them ever say thank you and so many complain about Malta. This story shows that we have here economic migrants and not asylum seekers, but with time they and their mentors will make a case for refugee status.
The most relevant sentence in the whole story is the last one: "Malta is too small for everyone, they argued, echoing the concerns of many." Can the newly arrived illegal immigrants answer a question that neither the NGOs nor the do-gooders nor Dr Gonzi have ever answered? How many illegal immigrants can Malta take - 1000, 10 000, 100 000 or one million? At least we'll have a number.
Sean Grima
Apr 20th 2011, 10:14
the asylum application process is in fact meant to separate genuine claims from 'economic migrants'. of course, things are not done overnight when they are done diligently.
no "numerus clausus" can be placed on genuine claims: but, in practice, we are only speaking about a few hundreds.
Stephen Koludrovic
Apr 20th 2011, 11:38
So Sean, in your own words, if only a few hundred should be considered as genuine asylum seekers, then the rest from the 15,000 are simply economic migrants.
Sean Grima
Apr 20th 2011, 15:32
you are twisting my words: i did not say that only a few hundreds should be considered as genuine asylum seekers, but that in practice that is what they will amount too. the principle remains that no numerus clausus should be placed, even if in practice they would amount to thousands.
Ms Rhonda Balzan Bastow
Apr 20th 2011, 18:04
Guys, I beleive the last figure I read about your applications for assylum, 60% are proven to be genuine refugees. But these people are displaced workers from Libya mainly...
Take care of eachother and try to be patient. I know, alright from here for me to say. But I don't think this is going to be fixed for a long time.
Rhonda min Sydney
Ms Emma Xerri
Apr 21st 2011, 05:14
Sean Grima, and were do you intend to house and feed 'these thousands', in your house perhaps?