German President Joachim Gauck this morning mingled with migrants at the Marsa Open Centre, as he was taken round a classroom, a computer lab, a kitchen and a dormitory.
The President spent about an hour at the centre and both his and the migrants' reaction to the visit was a positive one.
One migrant even handed him an envelope.
The President this morning also meeting non-governmental organisations working with migrants. While the German press were allowed in for the meeting, the Maltese media were not.
Earlier today, he had a meeting with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat at San Anton Palace.
Dr Muscat stressed his appreciation for the President’s “extremely symbolic gesture” in coming to Malta at this time.
“We believe this is intentional and a sign of goodwill.”
Dr Muscat told Mr Gauck he wanted to thank him personally for this because Mr Gauck was a point of reference in the German public sphere and crucial for the shift in attitude being seen on the issue of migration, not just in Germany but also in other countries.
It was important to change the mindset about migration, he said, before going into the nitty gritty details.
He said that short term solutions were being sought in the coming months but medium and long term ones would be dealt with in the EU-Africa summit to be held in Malta later this year.
Dr Muscat also referred to his meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel and said Germany should take the lead not just when it came to Eastern European issue but also on migration issues.
Mr Gauck spoke on the importance of good and close contacts and ties not just with the large EU countries but also with small ones.
He said he was in Malta to see how the country was dealing with the refugee crisis and was working hard for unity on the matter to be attained between the EU countries.
At San Anton Palace, President Gauck also accompanied President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca in the inauguration of the Berlin Buddy Bear at the President's Kitchen Garden.
The Berlin Buddy Bear signifies tolerance, unity, peace and harmony all over the world.
As Mr Gauck was meeting Dr Muscat, his partner, journalist Daniela Schadt was meeting a group of Somali women in Malta who shared with her their experiences in Somalia.
The women, who met Ms Schadt at the Jesuit Refugee Centre in Birkirkara, told her about the lack of rights in their country, being forced to marry men who were sometimes linked to Al Shabab and Al Qaeda, and being stoned if they were accused of adultery.
One said she ran away after seeing someone being stoned. People were stoned and had their limbs cut off in public squares so that everyone could see what was happening, she said.
Ms Schadt was shown around the centre by Fr Mark Cachia.
The women she met took part in a 10-week programme the JRS held in detention centres.
For the past two years, the JRS has been focusing on women, especially since they suffered sexual and gender based violence in their countries. When they came to Malta, they were held in detention centres run by men. The programme was focused on empowering women to speak up.
The JRS project was providing them with social, health and psychological services.
Twenty out of the 30 women in detention signed up for it and 15 completed it.
Their experiences will be put together in a booklet, which is to be published next month.
As she was being shown around, Ms Schadt stopped in front of a painting by a number of refugees from Liberia, Eritrea and the Democratic Republic of Congo reflecting their experiences.
The painting showed cars breaking down, people dying of hunger and thirst, asylum interviews and the brightest part showed hopes for the future.