Young migrants are committing suicide because of their desperate living conditions, according to friends of three victims who were yesterday remembered by the Eritrean and Ethiopian communities.
One of the victims, 26-year-old Ayalkibet Getahun, arrived in Malta in 2006. The young Ethiopian was found dead on January 9 under the bridge in National Road, Blata l-Bajda, on the road leading from Floriana to Msida.
While his body was taken to Adis Ababa, his friends yesterday mourned his death and those of Yemane Asefaw and Suleman Nudien who succumbed to the same fate in recent months.
Like these three men, there are many other migrants in Malta who community leaders describe as having no rights and being in a state of limbo.
After failing to obtain refugee or subsidiary protection status, they are allowed to remain here. However desperate living conditions drive some of them to commit suicide, Endale Kifle told this newspaper yesterday.
Several issues – from the process of seeking asylum status, lack of documentation and marginalisation in society, to shortage of financial means and lack of benefits despite paying tax and social security contributions – are weighing heavily on their mental health.
As he appealed to the authorities to feel their pain, members of the Ethiopian and Eritrean community gathered behind him, some of them wearing T-shirts with the abbreviation RIP and photos of the three recent victims printed on them.
Others carried placards reading “Voice to the Voiceless and Justice” and “God gives all humans equal rights. No one should be without a right”.
Mr Kifle told Archbishop Charles Scicluna (see box) that he has lost three “brothers” over the past few months. Migrants travelled to Malta from Africa to survive but after 10 years here there were some who gave up and committed suicide.
Meanwhile, Kewani Abraham expressed gratitude towards the Catholic and Orthodox churches, the government and NGOs for giving them the opportunity to express their “feelings and sadness”.
He told Mgr Scicluna that the community was just asking for some time to be able to sit down and explain their situation and issues that they were facing.
The Archbishop thanked them for their “trust”.
“I think we have a duty to listen to you and support you, and I will present your concerns to the government, who is also willing to help.
“I hope that we will create an atmosphere in which you feel welcome and where you are treated with respect and dignity as that is the greatest service we could give to humanity. It is also the greatest pride of Malta – to be welcoming and treat every human being with respect and dignity.”