The UNHCR office in Malta in association with a local production company has produced five Public Service Announcements (PSA) TV spots to raise awareness about how protection status is changing the lives of individuals who found safety in Malta.
The TV spots give a brief glimpse into the reality of five such people who are trying to rebuild their lives in Malta. They represent a cross section of beneficiaries of protection, all having fled persecution, war or exploitation in different parts of the world. They have endured threats in their home countries as well as during dangerous journeys. In Malta they have found hope for a new life in safety.
"Too often media's attention is directed at presenting just statistics about arrivals and departures of refugees and migrants. The daily reality of individuals who have been granted protection – some now living and working in the Maltese community - is often ignored", Jon Hoisaeter, UNHCR Representative to Malta, said.
Malta is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and in the last decade Malta has granted protection status to around 52% of those who applied for asylum here. The island does have limited reception capacity but that should not detract from the fact that the asylum process here has changed the lives of many who were in desperate need of protection.
The UNHCS said it acknowledged that Malta needs support – at times there has been a relatively high number of arrivals when measured against the size of the local population.
"For this reason UNHCR has assisted the Maltese authorities with identifying solutions for beneficiaries of protection by resettling or relocating over 1,400 people since 2005. Malta is in fact the only EU country where such a resettlement and relocation programme is implemented," it said.
"The UNHCR supports Malta's call for increased solidarity among EU states. At the same time we are ready to take further steps with the Government, our NGO partners, the Maltese people and refugees themselves to facilitate a positive integration of those who will remain in this country. The resilience and strength of the people presented in the five TV spots give us all inspiration to redouble our efforts in this regard."