Two families who had found themselves in Malta after fleeing war in Libya left for Germany yesterday morning to start a new life there.
It’s one of the most rewarding parts of my job- Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici
Both families, one Somali and the other Eritrean, flew to Frankfurt and then caught a connecting flight to Hanover.
The northern German city is to be their new home. Once there, they will receive cultural integration courses and German language tuition, designed to help with their integration process.
Their smiles lit the departures lounge at Luqa airport yesterday morning, betraying their eagerness to start this new chapter in their lives and become part of German society. They all thanked the various Maltese people who had helped them since their arrival last year.
Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici was on hand to bid the families farewell and wish them well. He was accompanied by Germany’s deputy chief of mission Helmut Resinek.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici thanked Germany for its willingness to help with the reallocation of refugees and migrants given international protection. He also spoke candidly about the satisfaction such occasions gave him on a personal level.
“Seeing such young couples, having fled war and destruction, being given the opportunity to live a good life is immensely gratifying to me. It’s one of the most rewarding parts of my job,” the minister said.
Thirty-two-year-old Salem spoke of his excitement. “I am so happy. I think it will be very cold there, but it is good news. We will work hard and make a good life there.” As he spoke, his wife nodded and smiled shyly, their baby boy, barely two months old, cradled and fast asleep in her arms. The couple had been forced to flee Libya and brave the perilous sea voyage north mid-pregnancy.
Mr Resinek told The Times that Germany was happy to be helping Malta in relocating migrants, especially families. “We believe that families find it easier to integrate and become part of the social fabric. With some luck, we’ll be able to announce more such relocation projects in the future.”
Yesterday’s departure follows another, much larger one of some 150 migrants, who left for Germany last November.
In total, 1,417 migrants have been reallocated to third countries since 2006.
Germany has been Malta’s major partner in relocating migrants under the EU’s Reallocation Project for Malta. Thirteen other EU member states have also committed themselves to relocate such beneficiaries of international protection.
The relocation process was coordinated by the Home Affairs Ministry, Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers and International Organisation for Migration. IOM officials were on hand at both Luqa and Frankfurt airports to chaperone the migrants.