The Marsa Open Centre, which has been run by an NGO since 2010, will be taken over by the government agency for asylum seekers in October, sparking concerns about the restricted role of NGOs in the field.
The Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS), which is responsible for running seven other open centres, will take over from the Foundation for Shelter and Support to Migrants (FSM).
The Marsa Open Centre is one of the biggest, housing hundreds of men. Before October 2010, it was managed by Fondazzjoni Suret il-Bniedem, which had decided not to renew its contract.
FSM was told in February that the government will not be renewing its own contract and will be taking over the centre. The foundation employs some 23 staff members.
If the government will be workingwith other NGOs, then it’s fine
A spokeswoman for the Home Affairs Ministry said the contract had expired and was renewed for two years until the end of September 2015.
“The Marsa Open Centre will continue to serve the same purpose. AWAS, which also runs other open centres, will recruit the necessary staff and work with NGOs to provide the necessary programmes.”
Asked to react, FSM director Ahmed Bugri said the involvement of NGOs in service provision was very important as they had extensive experience at a grassroots level.
“If the government will be working with other NGOs, then it’s fine,” Dr Bugri said.
“From our end, the foundation will keep working to continue providing migrants with the tools for integration. NGOs should continue to collaborate with the government – but as equals and not merely to fill in the gaps. What will be the new role of NGOs?”
Aditus director Neil Falzon said that NGOs had not been given any information whatsoever on the fate of the Marsa Open Centre, except for the fact that it will be taken over by the government.
“We weren’t informed whether it will be turned into an initial reception centre, whether it will host men, women or children and whether AWAS will continue running the programme which the current NGO started,” Dr Falzon said.
“These are very significant decisions which affect a lot of people. As NGOs, we want to be involved because we’ve worked on the ground for so many years.
“We don’t like secrecy. We want an open relationship with the government because we’re here to help. Has this decision been taken to stop collaboration with NGOs or is it just a management decision?”
Integra Foundation director Maria Pisani said the fact that the centre will pass under the government’s management did not augur well for civil society partnership.
“Throughout the years, FSM’s management has developed a lot of experience,” Dr Pisani said.
“Their methodology was based on community engagement. This move shuts dialogue down. The government needs to tap into NGOs’ expertise, skills, knowledge and different methodologies.
“NGOs should be engaged in such decisions which involve meeting the needs of the refugee population and, on a broader scale, that of the Maltese and migrant populations as well.”
People for Change Foundation director Jean-Pierre Gauci said that the priority was for migrants to be given the necessary treatment – the psychological assistance, education and healthcare.
More collaboration was needed with NGOs, he added.
“We can’t be in a situation where NGOs are brought in to fill the gaps. NGOs need to be given a space where their expertise can be offered to government.”
‘Ħal Far hot and small’
Times of Malta approached a number of migrants and asked for their opinion on the change of management at the centre.
The overwhelming response was that they preferred the Marsa Open Centre to the one in Ħal Far, complaining that the latter was dirty, unlike the cleanliness at Marsa.
The Marsa centre also offers a variety of courses, such as craftsmanship, English and ICT, as well as a very active social programme which has social workers and psychologists constantly around.
However, the most pressing complaint regarding Ħal Far remains the physical environment itself.
“The containers are very hot and small,” a 26-year-old male migrant said.
“It’s not good when you put a lot of Africans in one place – we’re very different from each other, with different languages and cultures so sometimes there are clashes.”