The death of Malian man Mamadou Kamara is only the latest of numerous violent incidents which migrants in detention centres have been subjected to in the past few years, former detainees are insisting.

The Migrants’ Network for Equality, together with the Jesuit Refugee Service, Moviment Graffitti, Aditus, Third World Group, Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust, Alternattiva Demokratika Youths, GetUp StandUp and Integra Foundation are inviting the public to join them in a “walk against institutional racism” in Valletta tomorrow, starting at the Tritons’ Fountain at 5pm. The demonstration will be a silent one, and will be commemorating Mr Kamara – who allegedly died after being beaten up by soldiers – and Nigerian man Ifeanyi Nwokoye, who also died shortly after he was captured during an escape attempt.

In a press conference jointly organised by the organisations, MNE representative Osman Dicko, who hails from the Ivory Coast and who spent 18 months in detention between 2005 and 2007, noted that Mr Kamara’s death was shocking, but not surprising.

He said that violence is often used against detained migrants, remarking that it was normal practice to severely beat those who had tried to escape. When protests take place, he added, a number of active participants are often handpicked and beaten.

When beaten migrants required hospitalisation, he added, hospital staff were told that they sustained injuries at the hands of fellow migrants.

Mr Dicko’s claims were backed by other migrants who spoke up during the press conference. Among them was Sudanese man Shami Wad Molah, who stated that he was himself beaten up when he was detained in 2005.

Speakers stressed that tomorrow’s walk was not intended to be against Maltese soldiers or other staff working at detention centres, recognising that these ultimately worked in very difficult conditions.

But they also pointed out that Malta’s detention policy was wrong, and in need of serious revision.

Detention, the MNE and other NGOs argued, was not only proving to be useless, but was also creating tension inside and outside detention centres. A number of speakers also pointed out that it was helping foster racist sentiment by providing the perception that migrants and asylum seekers were criminals.

Former detainees also stressed that the media should be given greater access to detention centres – and that detainees should be given the opportunity to voice their concerns while they are detained.