Home Affairs and National Security Minister Carmelo Abela has urged the public not to resent the integration of migrants and to understand the phenomenon.
“Some people speak negatively about migrants because they do not actually understand or realise why migrants flee their country of origin in the first place. The reason migrants do so is because they are escaping political turmoil or persecution.
“People should not fear the integration aspect of migrants,” he continued.
Addressing the closing conference of a round table meeting organised by the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS) where NGOs present shared concerns expressed by open centre residents following a number of information sessions, Mr Abela said that the ministry is currently trying to strengthen AWAS by employing more staff and giving them the necessary support so that they can be of better assistance to migrants.
The minister also highlighted that it is vital to give migrants who land on our shores good first-hand information which serves as a tool for integration.
He said that a debate on integration will soon kick-off and a successful integration process can only come about if migrants are better informed.
On the EU’s latest migration stance, Dr Abela said that the EU is starting to understand “that we are in it together” and other member states are accepting that the responsibility is theirs too and is not simply the responsibility of just a few states which happen to be close to Libya, referring to Malta and Italy.
He said that we must also convey a clear message that this is a global issue and the countries of origin of migrants also have a responsibility and should ensure that the lives of their people are improved to prevent their nationals from escaping political turmoil or the economic situation in their country.
Conclusions of the information sessions
From the information sessions delivered in four open centres, it emerged that there are roughly 5,000 migrants in Malta. It also results that most migrants find it hard to read food labels at supermarkets despite the fact that there exists a service whereby English courses are provided to the migrant community. They also feel that there is a lack of information on certain services made available.
One NGO representative suggested that information should be available online and updated regularly and one should not just resort to booklets to disseminate information.
Some migrants did not understand how the triage system worked which is a first-come, first-served basis service, an NGO representative present said.
About the project
The project is aimed at providing practical advice and information to residents of open centres on how to access services and their entitlements in Malta using a right-based approach which considers each individual entitled to the human rights based on the principles of fairness, equality, dignity and respect. The information sessions were carried by AWAS in order to reach such objectives.
Photos: James Bianchi