Over 500 young people celebrated World Youth Day yesterday by joining in a procession of solidarity, which ended at the Ħal Far open centre for irregular immigrants.

Since the day coincided with Palm Sunday, the young people from various organisations also marked the religious function, where the palm symbolises triumph and victory, together with immigrants. The procession started from the St John XXIII chapel and proceeded to the Tent City where they joined Christian and Muslim immigrants for Mass, prayers and songs. Olive branches were blessed and palm fronds were raised by the 800-strong community there.

The youths shouted a message of Hosanna, a message of hope and trust in their solidarity towards the immigrants' suffering.

"The passion of these people in open centres symbolises many things, from bitter misunderstanding to rejection and helplessness. When the celebration was over I encouraged the young people to return more often to share the immigrants' burden and to pray for the strength they need," Fr Dionysius Mintoff, director of the Peace Lab, said.

Mass was concelebrated by Fr Mintoff, Fr Paul Pace, Provincial of the Dominican community, Fr Françoise Schembri, of St Albert the Great College, and Fr Michael Bellizzi, of the Catholic Action Movement.