Foreign Minister Michael Frendo said the government is committed to unveiling a monument for Maltese child migrants’ to Australia by the end of this year. The announcement was made on Sunday evening during a meeting between Minister Frendo and members of the Child Migrants’ of Malta Association, led by the Chairman Prof. David Plowman, at the Maltese Child Migrants monument at the Maritime Museum in Freemantle Harbour, Perth.

Minister Michael Frendo arrived in Perth, Australia on Sunday evening after visiting the Maltese communities in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Adelaide as part of his six-day visit to Australia.

Dr Frendo told the committee that one recognises the trauma of Maltese child migration and the need to bring it to the attention of the Maltese of different generations. “This is the object of having a memorial to this event in the Grand Harbour area,” said Minister Frendo.

Dr Frendo also made reference to migration in general and said it is important to speak nowadays of the Maltese people as forming part of a nation that is present in many countries other than Malta. He referred to the migrants and their descendants as being part of the Maltese nation. This stronger sense of nationhood of the Maltese people spread around the world forms an integral part of the Strategic Objectives of Malta’s Foreign Policy, he said.

“My presence here today in Freemantle, on the same spot where around 300 Maltese child migrants touched Australian soil for their first time, is to honour them in their experience and in their ability to make a success of their lives against many odds.”

Later in the evening, Minister Frendo met the Maltese community residing in Perth at the Maltese Community Centre. He was greeted by Dr Tony Sciberras, Malta’s Honorary Consul in Perth, Alf Wettinger, President of the Maltese Association of Western Australia and Ms Louise Vink, President of the Maltese Australian Business and Professional Association of Western Australia.

Earlier on Sunday, Minister Frendo also met the Maltese community and their representative Council of South Australia at the Maltese Community Centre in Adelaide in a four-hour stop over in South Australia. Minister Frendo was presented with a token of appreciation for his visit to Adelaide by Malta’s Honorary Consul in Adelaide Frank L. Scicluna and Honorary Vice-Consul John Farrugia.

As a result of the Enhanced Cooperation Initiative in the cultural sector launched by Malta’s High Commission in Canberra, Minister Frendo presented a wide selection of Maltese publications to the Maltese Communities of Adelaide and Perth respectively, for use by the Maltese community. Similar presentations have also been made to other Maltese communities in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.