The government is standing by its open centre readmission policy despite criticism from refugees documented in the latest annual report of the Jesuit Refugee Service.
In its EU-wide report, the JRS quoted refugees and asylum seekers in Malta to show how it was becoming difficult for those leaving the open centres to return and enjoy the same conditions they had before, including free accommodation, meals and a daily allowance of €4.66.
Alex Tortell, director of the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS), said open centres were considered to be just reception centres and only a first step.
“It is our policy that all those hosted at our open centres should move on and not return once they encounter difficulties,” Mr Tortell said when contacted.
“This is international common practice as it is very dangerous that international beneficiaries and asylum seekers become dependent on social services.”
Asked what happened in the case of genuine situations, Mr Tortell said that contrary to what took place abroad and despite Malta’s limited resources, AWAS adopted a flexible approach. “There are no people living on the streets in Malta and this shows we are still managing to do a good job,” he said.
While homeless people are common in almost every major European city, here beggars and homeless are a rare sight despite the presence of some 3,000 asylum seekers and refugees.
In other member states, asylum seekers and international beneficiaries are only allowed to stay in open reception centres for a limited period, normally no more than six.
Quoting a pilot study conducted earlier this year, the JRS report says that in Malta “it is very difficult for persons who lose their place in an open centre to be readmitted into the system”. One interviewee was quoted as saying: “When I was released from detention I was placed at the Ħal Far tent village. After four months I left and went to the Marsa open centre because I could not stand the conditions at the tent village. At the time I was working in construction.”
He adds: “Eventually I had to stop working because of a serious back problem. I went to the immigration office and to Ħal Far to ask for another allowance. But I never received anything.”
JRS said the same was happening to migrants who left Malta and returned. A beneficiary of subsidiary protection recounts: “I went abroad to find a job since I couldn’t find one in Malta. I spent two months away, and then returned voluntarily. My fingerprints were not taken. I paid for my flight. The problem is they reduced my allowance from €130.48 to €81.48 (a month) because I left Malta. I have to take medicine because of my condition… how am I supposed to manage like this? I need money to buy food… I cannot work since I am an old man.”
Over the past few years, Malta has received thousands of illegal immigrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, who were granted protection under international rules.
An EU pilot project aimed at alleviating Malta’s burden by resettling refugees to other member states had only moderate results with some 600 offered a placement in the last three years.
Malta is currently the most overburdened member state in terms of refugees and asylum seekers, something which is recognised by the European Commission.