An Eritrean migrant, Tages Gebregzabher, is calling on the authorities to let him bring to Malta a three-year-old son who survived a traffic accident that killed his wife in Libya.
The accident happened some three weeks ago outside Benghazi. The woman was on her way to Libya from Sudan. Three other children were orphaned in the accident.
All four children were taken in by Tages Gebregzabher’s brother who lives in Libya.
Since the father-of-two has subsidiary protection and not refugee status, he cannot automatically bring his son to Malta.
The Migrants’ Commission, which is supporting Mr Gebregzabher’s appeal, told Times of Malta that a benefactor has already offered to pay the boy’s fare.
The two would be hosted at one of the commission’s homes in Malta.
Meanwhile, the same benefactor is willing to pay for the trip for the other three orphans if they are also brought to Malta, considering the current conflict in Libya.