Bertrand Borg
‘They want to leave Malta at all costs’
Migrants and Maltese are caught in a vicious cycle of mistrust, says Dr Bugre. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli
African migrants invariably look to Malta as a transit point and they resist leaving open centres because they see no future out there in Maltese society, Marsa Open Centre Director Ahmed Bugre tells Bertrand Borg.
To many, it is news worth celebrating. To others, it is an indictment of Malta’s multi-cultural credentials. “All the people registered at the Marsa open centre have applied to leave the island and get resettled elsewhere; 100 per cent. They want to leave Malta at all costs.”
The words are Ahmed Bugre’s, the Ghanaian-Maltese coordinator of the Marsa open centre.
Last August, the open centre hit the headlines when it was announced that about 180 long-term residents had been handed an eviction notice, effectively informing them that their time at the centre was up.
Migrants’ resistance to leaving open centres stands in stark contrast to local and international criticism of the centres’ living conditions as severely overcrowded and unsanitary. A Council of Europe report described conditions at open centres as “clearly sub-standard” and said the Ħal Far tent village ought to be closed down.
The question begs itself: if conditions at open centres are so poor, why don’t residents want to leave and integrate into Maltese society?
According to Dr Bugre, Maltese citizens and African migrants are caught in a vicious cycle of mistrust.
“Do people really want African migrants to remain in Malta? The answer is ‘no’,” Dr Bugre said. “There is a national mindset that says ‘African migrants are here as temporary guests, and one day they must leave’.
“Of course migrants sense this. They come into the centres with the understanding that they do not have a long term future on the island and that their stay in Malta is a temporary one. They strive to find employment with the aim of supporting their immediate families back home, and wait for possible re-settlement or relocation in a third country.”
Dr Bugre estimated that at least 140 of the 180 residents handed their eviction notices had already left the island. “Most of them have headed for Scandinavian countries, to try their luck over there,” he said.
Migrants granted humanitarian or subsidiary protection – as is the case for all those evicted – have the right to a travel document allowing them to go overseas for a limited period of time.
Under the Dublin II system, if a migrant overstays and is apprehended by authorities, he or she is sent back to the country in which they first entered the EU.
In this case, that country is Malta. “It is likely that a good number of those who have left the island over the past weeks will eventually be caught and sent back here,” Dr Bugre sighed. “What do we do when they start returning?”
Malta’s asylum policy makes little provision for the integration of refugees or migrants into broader society. A 2011 study by the British Council and Migrant Policy Group ranked Malta 28 out of 31 European countries in terms of integration of migrants.
The policy has attracted a measure of criticism from human rights organisations and Alternattiva Demokratika but enjoys the support of both the major political parties.
The result, Dr Bugre said, is migrants who have been at open centres for up to seven years yet don’t speak a word of Maltese or English.
“They have no motivation to learn. They’re just hoping that one day they’ll be sent to mainland Europe or America.”
Since 2008, about 1000 migrants have been resettled in other countries, with over 600 accepted by the US. This May, European countries pledged to resettle a further 350. For the majority of migrants in Malta, resettlement remains a pipe-dream.
Although some skilled and educated migrants managed to settle, there were also exceptions. Dr Bugre cited the case of a migrant who was studying law at the University of Malta but decided to leave anyway.
“I told him that he was crazy, throwing away three years of studies. He looked at me and asked ‘If I stay here, can I ever become a Maltese citizen? Will I ever be able to bring my family over here?’ They are valid questions.”
Integration is also held back by migrants’ own reticence to speak up, Dr Bugre said. “There are migrant communities but everyone is afraid of becoming a leader and being a spokesperson, for fear of compromising their chances of getting resettled.
“The tendency is not to listen to migrants until they complain, but no migrant wants to get a reputation of being a trouble-maker.”
A 2010 report by the Jesuit Refugee Service had found that it was extremely difficult for migrants who moved out of centres or found gainful employment to re-enter the open centre system if they subsequently lost their source of income.
Migrants granted subsidiary or humanitarian protection are not eligible for unemployment benefits. As a result, migrants wanting to seek work and their own accomodation think twice before doing so. If they lose their job, they end up jobless, homeless and with no social safety net.
This problem, Dr Bugre said, had now been solved. “We have secured an unwritten exception which qualifies migrants who live outside the centre and can prove that they have lost their job with a ‘social benefit’ of €92 a week,” he said, although he stressed that the policy was not yet enshrined in law.
Other changes were also in the pipeline, Dr Bugre revealed. “We have suggested evolving the open centre concept and having a number of halfway houses, where four or five migrants share a house in the community.
“They could be assigned a social worker and given the responsibility to live their own lives, as they did before they came to Malta and grew dependent on open centres.”
In the meantime, migrants continue to live in open centres, on the margins of Maltese society. “If a migrant goes to America or Germany, there is a clear process to follow,” Dr Bugre said. “They are given orientation and language classes. They are told that after a set period of time they can apply for citizenship. But here, you are just waiting. Waiting until someone takes you away.”
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G G Debono
Oct 31st 2011, 22:38
Some of the disagreeable comments below make wish I had stayed abroad...and never came back home to Malta.
Giovann Demartino
Nov 1st 2011, 17:21
They were certainly uninvited!
Claire Mula
Oct 31st 2011, 17:10
Most of the comments here are disgusting! And we call ourselves Christians. Before reading what you churchgoers wrote I was going to comment on the difference between Malta and countries like Germany and America where “(immigrants) are given orientation and language classes." not left on the margins of ' society, with a clear message of unwantedness given to them continually. The open centre and the tent village make me feel ashamed to call myself a supposedly 'kind-hearted' and 'generous' Maltese!
And just in case any of you Bible reading Christians would to tell me to invite an immigrant to be my neighbor or into my home - I anticipate you and willingly respond - "anytime!" I don't have any problems with living with a fellow human being...
Giovann Demartino
Oct 31st 2011, 17:54
Sorry Claire, but it is because we are good christians that we want them to go as soon as possible... They don't like to stay here and they are so eager to go away. We do not want them to stay here against their will and so, like good christians, we shall be pleased to see them having their wish fulfilled.
G G Debono
Oct 31st 2011, 22:35
Giovan Dmartino:
RE......." so, like good christians, we shall be pleased to see them having their wish fulfilled."
But it may be that they want to leave because they feel unwelcome exactly because we are not quite the "good christians " that you claim we are....
Giovann Demartino
Oct 31st 2011, 15:49
The sooner , the better
Carmel camilleri
Oct 31st 2011, 15:02
It is only a couple of weeks ago that i saw about ten refugees at Wied il-Buni beach , B'Bugia with dozens of cans of beer and continuous using their mobiles. Where did they get the money from?
Joseph Calleja
Oct 31st 2011, 14:40
"They want to leave Malta at all costs.” One simple question? Why are we keeping them here against their will? Send them to where they came from or let them go to Mainland Europe. Another question comes to mind. When they use Arriva to travel from one place to another, are these considered as tourists and pay the highest fare? Are they required to show their ID like others do? Is our Government allowing E92 a week in benefits for unemployed Maltese citizens? I would still like to know the exact amount of money the JRS ( A Profitable Organization) receives from the EU and our own Government to help these illegal immigrants? How much is it costing us the Tax Payer every year? This illegal immigration is turning out to be big business and big business entails a lot of money. Where is all that money coming from and exactly where is it going? By the way, unless you can come up with the right figures, bleeding hearts need not apply. I am sure we are talking about millions here.
Joe Fenech
Oct 31st 2011, 14:24
Go back to your countries and develop it rather than escaping !
Charles Zammit
Oct 31st 2011, 12:04
Well if they want to leave Malta at all costs ! let them go back where they came from .
E92 a week in benefits , I should think this is coming from the money that is STOLEN from the X Servicemens Pensions for years and still is being done .
Once again nobody asked these people to come here and they are free to go back where they came from .
Catherine Zammit
Oct 31st 2011, 11:44
They do not speak a word of Maltese or English becuase they hope to go to mainland Europe - Ok don't learn Maltese but if you really hope to go to Europe not learning English won' t help because you're not motivated!
Phil Humphries
Oct 31st 2011, 11:14
Dr Bugre revealed. “We have suggested evolving the open centre concept and having a number of halfway houses, where four or five migrants share a house in the community."
Then the neighbours move out and another 'house in the community' becomes occupied by another group of immigrants, and so begins the Ghetto and all that comes with it.
There are countless examples of this around the world, so it's hardly surprising that people are fearful of any moves to integrate immigrants into mainstream society. Once started, the process cannot be reversed, and I don't imagine that any Human Rights lawyers would be willing act for the indigenous population, because that would probably breach some bizarre EU law.
Subtle moves towards integration will not change most peoples attitudes towards these immigrants. However, if Africa showed clear signs that it is determined to address its own internal problems, then who knows what might happen ?
D Psaila
Oct 31st 2011, 10:27
@Sean Grima
You don't need a legal qualification to know that the 92 euros per week social benefit is contrary to Maltese law, just the ability to read the article properly:-
"This problem, Dr Bugre said, had now been solved. “We have secured an unwritten exception which qualifies migrants who live outside the centre and can prove that they have lost their job with a ‘social benefit’ of €92 a week,” he said, although he stressed that the policy was not yet enshrined in law."
Colin Stanley
Oct 31st 2011, 16:25
WHAT HAPPENS TO MALTESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO JOB AND ARE HOMELESS. ARE THEY GIVEN A HOME?
Laurence grech
Oct 31st 2011, 10:14
LET THEM LEAVE!!!!!!
john chircop
Oct 31st 2011, 08:38
All I say is,just go dont wait anymore.Thank you!
Mr Oliver Cini
Oct 31st 2011, 08:17
An other solution would be to teach immigrants Maltese, English and so on... so to make it easy for them to integrate also, after 5 years on maltese soil working and delivering they could be granted citizenship whereby after they could go to europe or america educated and with all the right papers in hand. Mean while the goverment should insist that during those 5 years immigrants should repay the Maltese sociaty of that they have been given by working in sectors that Malta needs.
Also by educating them we would ensure the future of these poor soules and investing in europe's louber force, since all europe is an aging population we need fresh hands to continue moving onwards.
Louise Vella
Oct 31st 2011, 07:52
II
We learnt something from this article. That some illegal immigrants who claim to have lost their job are being given 92 euros a week, contrary to Maltese law. Has this departure from the law been introduced by Minister Dolores Cristina?
Sean Grima
Oct 31st 2011, 08:54
what legal qualifications entitle you to say that it is contrary to maltese law? it is not prohibited by law!
Carmelo Aquilina
Oct 31st 2011, 09:11
Louise cvan you ever find eanyhting positive to say about other human beings ? Honestly you you see only the cost of immigrants and not their value.
Louise Vella
Oct 31st 2011, 07:47
I
This interview reflects the truth. Malta is over-populated. It has a density of more than 1250 inhabitants per square kilometre. No wonder it cannot absorb the illegal immigrants. On the other hand, the Scandinavian countries are under-populated, with less than 20 inhabitants per square kilometre. Malta is more than 60 times more densely populated than the Scandinavian countries. That's why so many illegal immigrants of those who left Malta end up in Scandinavian countries.
The Scandinavian countries have many defenders of illegal immigrants, like the Swede Cecilia Malmstrom of the EU, the other Swede Hammarberg of the Council of Europe and the Norwegian Jon Hoisaeter of UNHCR (Malta). They should tell their countries to take our illegal immigrants to fill up their empty spaces. Instead when an illegal immigrant originating in Malta is caught in Sweden or Norway, they send him back to us. The right policy is to make happy everybody - the illegal immigrants, the common people of Malta and the Scandinavian do-gooders by a project (promoted by Malmstrom, Hammarberg and Hoisaieter) to transfer all those illegal immigrants who want to go a Scandinavian country of their choice.
Sean Grima
Oct 31st 2011, 09:00
aside from the fact that these are competent politicians who do not needs any tom, dick and harry to tell them what to do - since when are you empowered to speak on behalf of the "common people" of malta? i do not see that you are an elected representative!
Giovanni Zammit
Oct 31st 2011, 09:28
I agree, the Maltese people are extremely dense. It is a fact that cannot be changed, and migrants should not expect any better than what they are getting.
Sean Grima
Oct 31st 2011, 14:39
oh, some maltese people are extremely dense!