Migrants from various countries spoke about their experiences in Malta when they appeared before the Social Affairs Committee yesterday.
Mohamed Ahmed Ali, a 17-year-old Somali who has been here for 18 months, said he had been in detention for two days before moving to Dar Is-Sliem. He said he is studying ICT (at Mcast) and works in a hotel at night. He is also learning English.
Malta, he said, ‘was good’ and he wished to continue to live here. He regretted, however, that there were no activities for the migrants, although he was able to make friends at Mcast.
Hussein Do, 17 from Mali, who arrived in Malta last year, said he was in detention for a month, during which, he said, the migrants played football. He said his problem was that he had not been issued local documents. The only thing he had was a police card. He goes to the (former) Lyceum in Hamrun to learn English and Maltese and he said he was making friends. He also praised Dar is-Sliem and said that before coming to Malta he could not speak English but was able to pick it up once he arrived here.
Another migrant, 25, who arrived from Senegal two years ago, said he was held in detention for eight months. “I felt so bad," he said. He used to think about freedom and also thought about killing himself because no one was standing up for him. He was treated at Mt Carmel Hospital.
He said he arrived here for protection but found himself in detention, without family. He could not sleep at night thinking of his family.
He had originally intended going to Italy, he said, seeking a peaceful life and something to do.
Since his release, he said, he was happy and attending computer classes. However he felt dependent because he was unable to find work despite sending his CV to many people. He had also applied to the ETC. His main problem, he said, was that he had no family, and burst into tears.
Another migrant, from Somalia, said he arrived six months ago and was in detention for two months. While in detention, he said, all the migrants who were there wanted freedom but all they could do was play football. However he understood the situation and had no problem.
He was then moved to the open centre. He said his only problem was to find work. He had a work permit and presented his CV to employers, but no one called him. He could do anything, he said, whether it was a cleaner or storekeeper. In the meantime, he said, he was learning ICT and English.
Asked by Labour MP Deborah Schembri about his impression of the Maltese, he said his impression was a good one, and he had not met any problems.