Internal conflict and lack of time has often led to the disintegration of migrant networks, but a new organisation wants to change this.

Marcelle Bugre, who is leading the Third Country National Support Network Malta, wants to bring different communities together and help them integrate.

“Organisations representing non-EU nationals face similar challenges, such as dealing with the fear of deportation and obtaining reunification of family members,” Ms Bugre said.

Some organisations also have their own stumbling blocks, such as challenges faced by female leaders and conflict between different ethnicities in the home country.

This fragmentation and lack of resources within individual organisations has led to unsuccessful attempts in the past to set up migrant networks.

Three years ago, Ms Bugre and her colleagues from the Foundation for Shelter and Support to Migrants started looking into ways of bridging the gaps.

They wanted to bring together non-EU nationals (referred to as third country nationals or TCNs) who face similar challenges while settling down in Malta.

Supported through a European Economic Area agreement fund, Ms Bugre kickstarted the project last September with research that included interviewing 17 leaders of organisations.

The new group is collaborating with Bairros, a partner organisation in Portugal, to design a capacity-building programme.

Following months of discussions and meetings, different TCN organisations are now coming together as a network to hold the first in a series of cultural and social events.

Walk Around the World is being organised at Smart City on Monday between 4pm and 10pm by migrants from Ghana, India, the Philippines, Sudan, Morocco, Syria, Brazil, Libya, Russia, Ethiopia, China and Pakistan.

All proceeds will go towards the refurbishing of a flat for children at Angela House in Guardamangia.

The event is aimed at helping the Maltese engage with third country nationals, to counteract the myths and assumptions – such as losing jobs to migrants – about different nationalities that can arise from lack of interaction.

“TCNs feel they are already contributing to the culture, social activity and economy of Malta, and this event is their own way of showing this in practice, by creating a cultural exchange while contributing to a just cause,” Ms Bugre adds.

More information is available on mb@fsmmalta.org or look up TCN Network Malta on Facebook.