‘They rescued me from the dead, but I wish I had died with my wife’
Parched and sunburnt after seven days at sea on board a rubber dinghy, a group of about 75 African migrants summoned their last ounce of energy to shout for help as a merchant vessel sailed past.
The small reserves of water and food had finished after two days, so when the MV Victoria 6 stopped and the crew started throwing down bottles of water there was a rush causing the boat to list.
“That was when my husband fell into the sea. Somebody threw him a jerrycan to help him stay afloat. I was screaming for help but nobody helped him,” Bridget Ezukuse told The Sunday Times, recounting how she lost Celestine, her 32-year-old husband and father of her unborn child.
“He was weak after five days of no food or drink and the waves eventually carried him away,” she said sobbing helplessly.
Ms Ezukuse, a 25-year-old orphan from Nigeria, is one of 68 immigrants rescued in the early hours of Thursday some 70 nautical miles off Malta from a dinghy that had left from Libya a week earlier.
According to official police figures, six immigrants were lost on this treacherous journey – two died before help arrived, another two fell into the sea, while two more died before they could reach land. However, Ms Ezukuse is insisting that five immigrants – four men, including her husband, and a young woman – were lost in the rough seas, not two.
Police Sgt Major Charles Galea, who manages Lyster Barracks in Ħal Far, said among the four dead brought ashore was a 14-year-old boy, whose 16-year-old brother had to identify him at the mortuary yesterday.
Sitting on a bench at the detention centre, Ms Ezukuse’s vacant eyes well with tears and she rocks herself gently as she recounts what happened.
The couple married in Nigeria three years ago and with barely any food they set their sights on the European dream, leaving behind their country and poverty for Libya two months ago.
The couple had a two-year-old son, but they felt it was too dangerous for him to make the trip so they left him with Celestine’s mother in the hope of being reunited with him once they settled in Europe. In Libya, where unrest persists despite the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime, the two never felt welcome – “we were constantly told ‘we don’t need blacks here’” – and although they tried to integrate they were treated badly. That was when they decided to cross over to Europe.
“They told us it would take just one day to get to Italy. They gave us a little water and some biscuits... everything finished after two days. We were all hungry and thirsty and some were sucking their blood to survive; they were like vampires,” she said.
Two people had already died on board before they were rescued and she feared if they had spent any more time at sea they would have all perished.
The MV Victoria 6 towed the dinghy towards Malta but it broke loose along the way. It was recovered by the Armed Forces of Malta and the immigrants were brought ashore in two batches on Thursday. Over the past two days, Ms Ezukuse has been living in a daze.
“I’m scared, so scared. My husband told me we’ll be together but now he’s gone. I’m all alone now. If I was deported with my husband I wouldn’t mind because at least we’ll be together, but now I have nowhere to go and nowhere to stay,” she said, burying her sunburnt face in her hands.
Sensitive to her ordeal, Sgt Major Galea immediately stepped in and reassured her she would receive all the help to secure her welfare and that of her unborn child.
He explained that vulnerable cases were dealt with swiftly and not kept in the detention centre for long thanks to the coordinated efforts of the Refugee Commission, the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS), the police and the army.
“These people are not prisoners and we do our utmost to ensure we give them their dignity,” Sgt Major Galea said, as he comforted Ms Ezukuse and led her back to her room.
Ms Ezukuse does not know how much her husband paid for the trip, but Iyahen Sunday, who was on the same dinghy, said he handed over $1,600 (€1,297) for himself and his wife.
Mr Sunday’s story is tragically similar to that of Ms Ezukuse as his 22-year-old wife died just when the group was finally rescued. After seven days out at sea and no land in sight his wife became increasingly frail.
“She was thirsty and I gave her water to drink from the sea,” he said, adding that when the “big ship” arrived they were too weak to help themselves to the water the crew were throwing down.
Instead, he stood aside, sheltering his wife from the mayhem and holding her tight. At one point she fainted and he was assured a doctor was on the way. When she came round she started talking to him and Mr Sunday started to carry her over his shoulders from the dinghy to the patrol boat.
“When I put her down she had stopped breathing. I don’t have anybody else in this whole world, I don’t know where to start,” he said, tapping his head as if to shake away the pain.
“They rescued me from the dead, but I wish I died with my wife.”
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Joe Xuereb
Aug 20th 2012, 15:07
Refugee-seekers have always existed often enhancing their host countries with their talents (Jews escaping Nazism and Communism and bring wonders to the West - Hollywood, the USA. Some earning a living being kitchen-porters, others were more creative: musicians, composers, film-makers, actors, the injection of a very special European spirit into the American way of life still then coming to grips with pioneers vying with each other for space for themselves and their particular god. The Mormons being a fall out of this scenario.
Then came the fall of the Berlin Wall and suddenly, everybody and his dog wanted to make a bid for freedom. The Russian Jews returned to their 'Promised Land' where they created a demographic upheaval and were at least reminded of this by their own established Jewish brothers and sisters. Israel is dealing with the 'new' immigrants in much the same way, but more robustly. Israel's problem has more than a faint echo in the Maltese situation.
The devastating Cold War between the West and the former USSR. We were promised a New World Order, a Brave New World. Apart from the emerging refugee phenomenon we now realise that the Cold War never went away. In Syria, the West wants the cessation of the bloodshed (sounds medieval but we're in 2012, and make no mistake about it). Some here have spoken of Nigerian 'rebels' - more like regime aficionados from where I stand - raping and killing, this justifying the Nigerians' bid for freedom in Europe whose culture they will supplant with their own, like what happened in 'hollywood' last century. 'Hollywood ', ie American culture was weak or non-existent so it absorbed willingly and easily the wealth coming in, be it the porter at the railway station or Gershwin and the Rockefellers and Rothschilds. Going by the atrocities in Nigeria on its own people and their right to seek new pastures in Europe, then I would suggest that the Syrians too have a right to try their luck elsewhere. I have lost a friend in Damascus and now Aleppo. I would have accommodated both but two is far shorter than a hundred.
Back to Nigeria. I have previously quoted the link below. I sounds like the situation there is not so dire as some would have as believe.(give or take a few boy-soldiers and corruption like everywhere else). However, this does not mean that same men are above prostituting their women in Milan, accompanying them so she doesn't get away, or staying back in sunny Nigeria waiting for the weekly. cheque. Or an even quicker way of making money is the monotonous regularity of 'mules' getting caught with their stomach stuffed with hard drugs. And to be a 'mule' one has either to be extremely hungry, or extremely greedy. Not occupations I would choose for myself albeit to escape terror. But then, wanting to live a better life, and quickly, does tend to lower the stakes, rather!
http://www.onlinenigeria.com/aids/edo_prosti.asp
Joe Xuereb
Aug 20th 2012, 11:40
.
This is not a sob story; this is truly a tragic human horror reality that needn't have happened.
Nigeria does not sound like a very nice place and, LIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE, there is poverty. Somebody should have told them this before they left, but would they listen?! and
Out of what little money they saved they decided to pay a hefty sum to a trafficker and they ended up in Libya (with the intention of staying implied). But they were not wanted because the Libyans do not like black people(?). So they were got rid off and told the would be in Italy in no time at all(NOT Malta). And the rest is history.
Now these people, for whatever reason, made some silly mistakes in the decision to come to Europe, hoping to be reunited with family, friends and a precious son left behind for the time being. And they hoped to say goodbye to poverty forever. Now making bad decisions is not a crime so they need help and they should get it (after all, even Malta's own poor are known to be generous). But please, can someone tell these people that poverty is not good enough reason to leave one's country - if these people cannot, or refuse, to think, then someone has to do the thinking for them. Patronising? Maybe; but what other choice is there? When jumping from the frying-pan into the fire(and worse) is not at all a solution.
Afterthought. This poor woman seems to have a fairly decent grasp of English even though I can hardly understand a word she is saying. Wherever she settles in Europe, she will have to learn Italian, German, Maltese, English in a way it is easily understood. Necessary if she is to shake off memories of poverty back home in Nigeria.
Valerie Calleja
Aug 20th 2012, 09:47
Mr Edward Caruana Galizia, please do your homework before pronouncing that the Maltese have never known hardship, hunger poverty. That is the reason why after the last war hundreds emigrated legally to America, Australia, England ,leaving family behind to try and make a living, in these countries.Malta had nothing after the war, no jobs, no food, and no prospects as the island is a rock which produces NOTHING.We stayed on when war broke out to protect and defend these islands.We did not run away.We stayed on and fought,together with the British.
Now Africa is huge, wealthy in natural resources and there are no colonial powers on whom to put blame.There is just the indigenous population ,who seem to be fighting each other most of the time. Stay on I say and fight for your country.This island is barely big enough for us.
Patrick Gafa
Aug 20th 2012, 08:55
I must admit that I don't like the illegal immigration since it is a further burden on the the country to place another brick in the wall. Nonetheless how can one remain emotionless infront of this human tragedy. Somebody said that the EU does not seem to bother anymore about this and I tend to agree because Malta has been insisting and asking help, but hardly anything happens except that we get more boats.
The irony is that these people are coming from coutries that were colonised by French, British and Spanish during which time they have exploited them as they wanted. Some of them still being skimmed for black gold of course. So what are they doing in reality .... just talk talk talk at EU meetings, of course talk is cheap.
Reality is that they (EU) don't care and will not do anything infront of this situation. Who cares if these people are taking the ultimate risk in order to improve their living since they were unlucky to be born in such countries. Does anybody care that the Maltese have to face the situation ... NO .. .. Hmm by the way .. Angela .. the Euro lost another two point against the dollar !!
Wenzu Vella
Aug 20th 2012, 08:54
The plight of this woman is heart retching and one have to be sorry for her. The risks they take are great to leave their country. In most cases they are leaving countries that are very rich in natural resources to opt out for what they think it will be a quick share of European way of life.
Little that they realise that they have embarked firstly on a perilous journey and secondly most of them will remain second rate citizens at best. The fault of this cruelty of life should be born by the UNHCR because they accept everyone as a refugee in fact over 90% of these people are economical refugees.
Anthony Paul Naudi
Aug 20th 2012, 06:19
As a human being in moments of despair one tends to say anything. When it comes to life our creator gave it to us and our creator will take it away. Maybe God needs these persons for a special mission.
A P Naudi
Robert Callus
Aug 19th 2012, 18:52
@B Cachia
I never said the whole isssue is merely lack of education. Of course it's much more than that - and once again politicians refuse to even discuss it. I was referring specifically to lack of knowledge on terminology and status of immigrants that Mr Cauchi was referring to.
And yes, many Maltese are confused. You seem well versed on the issue but most aren't. A friend of mine, a French tourist who happens to be black, was called "illegal immigrant" more than once while in Malta. You frequently hear people say things like "kien hemm klandestin...." when they're only referring to a black guy.
You read comments stating "illegal immigrants wandering our towns and villages...". Do you think the commenter checked their documents? You know pretty well she didn't. She isn't referring to illegal immigrants but black people.
So on and so forth. Yes, this misinformation exista and it's so obvious it can't be denied. And it is caused by lack of education
Mr Edward Caruana Galizia
Aug 19th 2012, 19:13
That is so true Mr Callus. Many people seem to think that if you are black in and Malta then you must be an illegal immigrant. They forget that there are many people of African decent all over Europe who come to Malta for a holiday, and who hold EU passports.
B. Cachia
Aug 19th 2012, 20:19
Certainly, there are people who might confuse tourists of African origin with immigrants (most of whom come from Africa), but people's perception that there are many immigrants in Malta and that the number is rising is correct and is only being marginally influenced by any possible confusion of immigrants with tourists.
According to the UNHCR, in 2011 there were about 7000 people in Malta who had refugee status or subsidiary protection. This number has been growing dramatically since 2001 and has more than doubled over the past four years. And these figures do not include failed asylum seekers who have not "yet" been repatriated. So, it's not a perception problem, and no amount of re-education is going to change that basic statistical reality.
Colin Stanley
Aug 20th 2012, 00:26
99% you can tell an illegal immigrant first of all you hardly have any Somalis as tourists, secondly the ones in Marsa, Balzan, Hal far, etc are surely not tourists and there are thuosands of them.
O. Grixti
Aug 19th 2012, 16:44
These stories should be told to the illegal immigrants waiting to cross to Malta or as they are told europe! We can hear them,they are very sad but they should have been warned about the risk before crossing,so it is better to spread them elsewhere,were they are more needed and can realy help someone else..
And from these thousands that came here this year,no one is able to help the police to catch these trafikes,to punish them for the dead of their loved ones.
Mr Edward Caruana Galizia
Aug 19th 2012, 18:38
These aren't idiots who think that waiting for a bus is torture. These are regular people who know what the word torture means and who would rather take the risk than stay put. And they are well aware of the risks. Showing them pictures and telling them stories about those who don't make it isn't going to stop them. They are running for their lives. They would rather live free or die trying, a choice that the Maltese know nothing about.
J Schembri
Aug 20th 2012, 06:48
@ Mr Caruana Galizia
Then the EU must help them ..... and us to before we end up playing the game 'spot the maltese' and you will win a prize!
Malta is limited you know just in case you don't. If these people have a problem, the EU must see the root of the problem and help out by going there personally.
It is easy to give orders from a cushy desk in Brussels and 'dump' these people on us just because we are only 20 miles of rock.
John Azzopoardi
Aug 19th 2012, 15:15
There is so much suffering in Africa, starting from all the misery all the way from the south all the way up to the North. This is just one story. I never hear the UN or any other agency talking about getting African country being run properly to alleviate the suffering going on and to make these countries self sustainable. We in Malta are too small to carry any burden and those who think the EU can do it, they are only kidding themselves. Today, there are countries such as China and Japan as well as South Korea who are much richer than Europe as it stands today and we rarely see them assist these African migrants or countries. However, I must add that China is all over in Africa exploiting the rich natural resources in many African countries as well as creating jobs. In addition, some countries in Africa - such as South Africa, Nigerai and Angola are swimming in money because they are resource rich countries. your bubbleSome maltese, especially the NGOs are way too naive that they think that Malta can solve this problem.
R Bonnici
Aug 19th 2012, 15:11
Thousands of illegal immigrants have arrived during the last years. With all these potential leads and witnesses how is it possible that the police fail to uncover the human traffickers responsible for all this anguish and loss of life? This is what amazes me about justice not the 60 euro fine for blasphemy.
John Azzopoardi
Aug 19th 2012, 23:23
Totally agree and what I have been saying in my posts all along. It is really hard to figure out how no one is ever brought on human trafficking charges. REally baffling.
John J Borg
Aug 19th 2012, 14:42
i feel that the eu together with african countries should warn prospective `european dream` chasers by airing on any possible media the high risks of such crossing and the misery involved, these crossing organisers are ruthless people that care only for their pockets....the north african coast is a very vast region, and these poor souls are easily impressed...they NEED TO BE WARNED !
Mr Edward Caruana Galizia
Aug 19th 2012, 14:34
These people didn't risk their lives just because a trafficker promissed them passage into Europe. They risked their lives because staying in their home country was a fate worse than death.
Imagine you lived in a country where your family could, at any second, be shot, raped, tortured or mutilated and left to bleed to death. Would you stay put because, God bless, illegal immigration is wrong?
They make their way across a continent, hand over all their money, risk their lives, and you think that it s because the traffickers offer them a way out?
The blame is entirely their political leaders' . These people know what it means to live in a dictatorship and they have the scars and the stories to prove it.
But what am I saying? In Malta we act like waiting for a bus is the worst thing that could ever happen to us and start calling the government a dictatorship because of it.
Steve Demicoli
Aug 19th 2012, 18:23
So, according to your reasoning - "staying in their home country was a fate worse than death", death was the better option for those who died???
And who is making their political leaders pay for their actions? Certainly not EU, provided that they don't feel any negative effects since Malta is 'keeping a lid on things'
Mr Edward Caruana Galizia
Aug 19th 2012, 18:36
Yes, that's what a fate worse than death is. If you had been in their situation, would you have rather stayed home and watched your children and wife be raped and then chopped up into pieces by a machete wielding rebel? I Don't think so.
These are brave people who are desperate for a life and will risk anything and everything to get it. Which makes their death so much more of a tragedy because they didn't live to see freedom and peace.
It is true that the rest of the world, not just the EU, should be doing much more to come down on these so called leaders.
D Bonello
Aug 19th 2012, 14:27
Libya behavior is still the same under Gaddafi. They put these poor people on a boat and show them the direction to Europe. This can no longer go on and Libya must be punished for this by the international community.
R. Cilia
Aug 19th 2012, 13:57
What a sad and tragic case. The persons responsible for these deaths are the traffickers. What is being done to stop them?
Jimmy Magro
Aug 19th 2012, 14:09
They are politically protected, man
Jesmond Farrugia
Aug 19th 2012, 14:52
The tragedy of Ms Ezukuse et al. should be publicised by the new Libyan government so as to protect would be migrants from further tragedy. Africa is a beautiful and rich continent, which if properly organised can become as wealthy as Europe.
Joseph Cauchi Senior
Aug 19th 2012, 12:48
I believe that it is about time to make a distinction between Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Economic Migrants.
Unless this situation is urgently settled, the consequences for the genuine asylum seekers and refugees would be extremely dire as they would be at a disadvantage when they are pooled together with the economic migrants!
The authorities should make it clear and take decisive actions for illegal immigrants coming from NON war-torn countries but rather from oil-rich countries that such ECONOMIC migrants are not accepted and won’t be tolerated!
Malta should help and assist by all means ALL genuine asylum seekers and refugees and make it clear to economic migrants that they are not welcomed here and that they will be on their way back to whence they came from, on the first available flight from Malta.
JC.
V Cassar
Aug 19th 2012, 13:28
"Malta should help and assist by all means ALL"
how many millions would that be?
Robert Callus
Aug 19th 2012, 13:36
Though not really relevant to the issue at hand - when saving livesat sea there are only human being not refugees or economic immigrants, the distinctions come later - good point Mr Cauchi.
Truth is that the law already makes these distinctions, and people who don't deserve protection do get deported. When they don't, or take a lot of time to do so, some people are misinformed into thinking it has something to do with JRS, UNHCR or politicians being afraid of being called racist. It has nothing to do with that, it's all about logistical and diplomatic issues with the country of origin.
A small part of the blame for this confusion is the media, but the major culprits are politicians. They were never honest with the Maltese people and rather than educate, the carried on with the speculation. Lately we've had Michael Falzon who, though proposing nothing different from the PN, labelled all immigrants by boat as "illegal immigrants".
I HOPE he knows the basic distinctions you mention above (he'll probably soon be a minister!) and probably he does. But he wants to look cool and impress, how tough he is. Which only leads to more confustion among the general public.
B. Cachia
Aug 19th 2012, 14:26
@ Robert Callus: The general public are not as "confused" and childlike as you seem to think they are, nor are they unaware of what is happening in their own country. The reality is that, while the distinction between illegal immigrants and refugees exists in theory, in practice economic migrants get released from detention for no reason after 18 months. So, all they have to do is obstruct their own repatriation process, and they get the run of the island after a short delay.
Those who actually qualify for refugee status are in fact very few (less than 5% of arrivals) but about half of those who do not qualify are granted 'subsidiary protection' because they come from one of a specific list of countries (implying that the entire population of those countries is in theory entitled to move to Malta if it should so choose).
What people are seeing, and disapproving of is a constant rise in the number of immigrants, all while the authorities and some NGOs patronisingly claim that there is no problem at all and that this is merely an issue of "educating" the public.
jeneba caruana
Aug 19th 2012, 11:39
=/ what a sad story
carlos ellul
Aug 19th 2012, 11:37
I feel sorry for this guys especially considering that they are now locked in a small island with little chance/resources to build a better life here. If they leave the island and are caught they are sent back.
These deaths are another reason to stop illegal immigration.
Stephen Galea
Aug 19th 2012, 11:24
So these people hand over their life savings and the ruthless traffickers do not even warn them of the dangers of drinking sea water?????
David Farrugia
Aug 19th 2012, 11:02
Horrific story. Something has to be done internationally to help this situation in Africa. Our nation is doing what it can within its limitations. However conditions at detention centres can improve. I urge the Government to spend more money on these refugees not in useless projects.
Vincent Galea
Aug 19th 2012, 09:50
Our vision of a perfect world is always a hope and never a reality.
B. Cachia
Aug 19th 2012, 09:50
These tragedies are happening to a great extent because of our own confused policies. By failing to put in place a clear system that only provides for refugees as defined under the Geneva Convention, we are effectively encouraging people to risk their lives when they should not be doing so.
The sad thing is that the case described in this article appears to be one of economic migration and that in all probability the persons concerned will be repatriated. There are, however, many less clear-cut cases, such as those of people who are not really refugees but who come from countries which are wholly or partly unsafe. We are currently granting these people 'subsidiary protection' merely on the basis of their nationality, the implication being that the entire population of those countries has a right to residence in Malta. This is clearly not a reasonable policy.
S. Zammit
Aug 19th 2012, 09:42
My heart goes out to you all. Welcome to your new home. Know that there will be people who will not like you or want you here but keep strong and try to look forward towards your new life. The loved ones you have lost have not died in vein. They died while trying to achieve their dream. A dream of a better life for them and their family.
Anthony Scicluna
Aug 19th 2012, 09:33
It is sad that in the 21st century people end up suffering in this way. I sincerely wish these people the best and a better future.
Charles Micallef
Aug 19th 2012, 09:30
Look it at hpw you wish, this is yet another human tragedy that we have got so accustomed to that the extent that powers that be in the EU are taking for granted, and keep ignoring Malta's plea for help....it is obvious that lives means so little to these people!
Maria Debono
Aug 19th 2012, 09:29
i sincerely hope the people have a better future awaiting them
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