Child migrants welcome monument, seek apology

Maltese emigrants who had settled in Australia as children yesterday generally welcomed the news that a monument, rather than a plaque, is to be erected by the Maltese government to mark their unfortunate experience there.

Former child migrants had been campaigning for a plaque to mark their sufferings and abuse after they were shipped off to Australia as children in the 1950s and 1960s, supposedly for schooling. They ended up being used as child labour.

Many were abused physically and some sexually; in all just over 300 Maltese children were sent to Australia. The president of the Child Migrants of Malta (CMOM), David Plowman, said yesterday the organisation was not surprised by the news because the government had submitted a proposal for their consideration and views over the past two weeks or so.

He said that only last week, the CMOM had indicated through the Maltese High Commission, a couple of minor reservations which could, however, be overcome. There were still some discussions over the issues raised but the government did not seem reluctant to accept the CMOM's wishes.

Professor Plowman said he understood the government intended to place the monument in a prominent site in the Grand Harbour and this was very appropriate because it was from there that the children had left the island.

Since both the government and the Church had been involved in sending children to Australia in the 1950s and 1960s Professor Plowman said the organisation would like a representative of the Church to bless the monument.

Former child migrant Joseph Azzopardi, who was recently interviewed about his experiences in The Times, welcomed the news, saying a monument would be much better than a plaque. However, he would still like to see the Church involved in the whole matter and offer some form of apology.

"When it comes to healing, one should get involved by expressing some sign of regret," he said.

Mr Azzopardi said it would also be nice if the government invited some of child migrants for the inauguration ceremony and paid for their air fares.

He said yesterday that Maltese child migrants would be meeting later this month to discuss the Maltese government's offer. Their interest, he said, would be in which timeframe the government was willing to do this.

The Church was asked yesterday whether it was willing to be involved in the monument's blessing. A spokesman for the Curia said that no official information had yet been received by Church authorities on a decision to erect a monument to commemorate child migrants

Asked whether the Church was willing to offer an apology to the child migrants who suffered abuse, the spokesman said: "The Church cannot but condemn the actions of those responsible, whoever they may have been".