Esmaeil Khalaf’s sons suffer from a blood disorder that requires regular transfusions but the supply in Syria is dwindling.

Syrian Esmaeil Khalaf places his documents on the red Christmas-themed tablecloth as he sits in the living room of his brother’s St Julian’s apartment.

Every corner of the room has been decorated for the festive season by the children of his brother, 36-year-old Yamen, who has been living in Malta for 14 years.

But Esmaeil, 41, – who came to Malta by boat in August 2013 – is in no mood to celebrate since his wife and four children are still in war-torn Syria.

As he leafs through his documents, he points out that he has subsidiary protection which means he is allowed to stay in Malta for fear he may be harmed if repatriated.

Since he is not a refugee, he does not qualify to bring his family over – even though his two young sons suffer from a blood disorder that requires monthly transfusions in a country where supplies are running out.

It is because of Esmaeil, and others like him, that a group of 10 NGOs have written to the Prime Minister asking him to relax existing rules on family reunification.

Fatima was picking poppies when Asma ran outside to join her and was hit by a bomb in Damascus

These organisations are Aditus, Foundation for Shelter and Support of Migrants, Integra Foundation, Jesuit Refugee Service Malta, Kopin, Malta Emigrant’s Commission, Migrants’ Network for Equality, Organisation for Friendship in Diversity, People for Change Foundation and SOS Malta.

They wrote the letter ahead of a pledging conference organised at ministerial level by the UNHCR to be held on Tuesday in Geneva to discuss the resettlement of some 130,000 displaced Syrians.

The NGOs wrote: “We are aware that there are a number of individuals enjoying international protection in Malta who have children, spouses and other dependent relatives in Syria or in camps in neighbouring countries, and who cannot bring them to Malta under the current family reunification regime which only applies to those granted refugee status... While we appreciate Malta’s limitations, we believe that Malta too can take effective action... We urge you to do this by committing to relax existing rules on family reunification and pledging to admit family members of asylum seekers from Syria granted subsidiary protection in Malta.”

Esmaeil has not seen his family since he came to Malta in the hope that he would pave the path to safety for them. But, so far, the government has not allowed them to be brought over.

He is particularly concerned about his two sick sons - Moatasem, 6, and Muhammed, 11 – who suffer from thalassemia major, a blood disorder that leads to severe anaemia. Translating on his behalf, his elder brother Mamoun, 43, said: “He only wants his family to be around him.

“The main purpose for him to come to Malta was for his family’s safety.”

Their younger brother, Rami, 32, is in a similar situation. Like Esmaeil, he has not yet been authorised to bring over his family who are in a camp in Jordon.

He is longing to be reunited with his wife, Nesma Youssef, who he last saw when she was pregnant with their daughter Baraa who is now four months old.

He came to Malta a few months ago with his eldest daughter, six-year-old Fatima, who witnessed the death of her sister Asma, aged three. Fatima was outside picking poppies when Asma ran outside to join her and was hit by a bomb in Damascus.

All Rami and Esmaeil want is peace of mind that their families are safe – like the family of their brother, Yamen, who is married to a Maltese woman and is hosting them in his home at the moment.

Yamen’s mother-in-law, Mary Rose Vella, said Malta should play its part to help these families who were escaping war.

“I’m Maltese but, at times, I can’t help but think that our attitude is one of: it’s not mine, so I don’t need to care,” she said as she leaned on to the red tablecloth.