At least one pregnant woman is found on board every boat of migrants arriving in Malta, according to a report by an international migration agency.
Libyan smugglers and migrants interviewed by the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat revealed that several migrant communities living in Libya believed that being pregnant would facilitate their journey to Europe.
“They have the idea that if they are pregnant they will get better treatment. They think their asylum claims will be processed faster and things will be better for them in this way,” one senior Somali community leader living in Tripoli told the report’s interviewers.
The review, being published in Malta today, shows that 20 per cent of last year’s migrant arrivals were women, although it does not reveal how many were pregnant. Children made up 14 per cent.
Female migrants interviewed in Malta told the researchers they felt more likely to be rescued if they were pregnant. This, the report warned, could see an increase in the number of pregnant women risking the dangerous voyage across the Mediterranean Sea.
Integra director Maria Pisani said when contacted that the reasons for pregnant women taking the risk were varied.
An expert in gender-based migration, Dr Pisani said many women would be forced to take the journey because of their pregnancy and not the other way around.
“This is often a case of desperate times calling for desperate measures. Wanting to get out of a dangerous country for your child’s well-being is a strong driving force,” she said.
Wanting to get out of a dangerous country for your child’s well-being is a strong driving force
Reacting to migrants’ belief that pregnancy led to a safer passage, Dr Pisani said there was no evidence to suggest that the Armed Forces of Malta would react any differently during rescue operations because of the presence of pregnant women.
“The AFM’s priority is always the safety of those lost out at sea. I don’t think this would be affected by the presence or lack of pregnant women,” she said.
Many expectant mothers, however, were often given preferential treatment by smugglers, and not the local authorities, she added.
“Some human traffickers give cheaper rates to pregnant women [a similar discount is given to those who volunteer to steer the clandestine vessels]; this could be a form of charity but also something more sinister,” she said. Some smugglers could also hold the view that having a pregnant woman on board could increase the chances of safe passage.
The review claims that 92 per cent of migrant arrivals landed via boat over the past 10 years. Almost all passengers, 89 per cent, were Somali and Eritrean.
Not all these stayed on the island. In fact, only 30 per cent remained. The others have been resettled in the US and continental Europe, while many left for Italy, citing Scandinavia as the dream destination.
The methods of arrival in Malta have also changed drastically. The report carries interviews with a number of Libyan smugglers who claim to have been using purpose-built boats up until a few years ago.
The large-hulled vessels were cast in fibreglass at a number of different factories outside of Tripoli. The production, however, was decimated during the Libyan uprising, which saw many of the factories destroyed.
Instead, migrants are now travelling using large dinghies or wooden fishing vessels.