In the early morning of July 16, 2006, somewhere on the coast of Libya, there I was, loading water, food and gallons of petrol into a small fibreglass boat, together with a group of 25 people from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Ghana. I saw smiles and high hopes in all of us despite the uncertainty of what was about to happen in the coming days. How can one smile under such circumstances? I don’t remember ever praying as hard as I did that day. The day had finally come!
Calm weather allowed us to leave quietly into the high seas. The boat was small with a 40cc engine moving at a slow speed. We sat around the sides and put our supplies in the middle in order to evenly distribute our weight and stay afloat. At times, water would come in from the back due to the weight of the engine and we would take it in turns to clear it out back into the sea.
After 32 long hours, everyone was sunburnt, restless, tired and started to doubt if there was land across the sea. We were running out of supplies, including petrol. A combination of the sun and petrol spills in the boat was becoming unbearable.
Finally, one of us saw a light on the horizon, perhaps from a tower. We headed towards the light and three hours later we landed on a beach. I was the first to jump out of the boat to inquire about which country we had just arrived in.
The gentleman told me that this was Malta, while advising that Sicily was only a few hours away, pointing towards the direction of Sicily. I thanked the man but I knew that we would never ride the boat again. We all sat down waiting for the authorities to arrive. I don’t blame the police for turning up in gloves and face masks. There was no coronavirus at the time but they had to deal with unpleasant smells to say the least after 35 hours at sea.
I believe it is right for Malta to request assistance from the EU and even from the US, but saving lives comes first- Goitom Yosief
After being processed at the police station, we were taken to the Safi detention centre where I stayed for one year. Little did I know that these beautiful islands of Malta would be my home for the next eight years and my better half was somewhere out there. I now live with my Maltese wife and our two children in the US.
I have been following the news coming out of Malta and it is very saddening to hear that the government decided to let people drown and push back others to certain suffering and possible death. While harsh immigration policy is not new to Malta, I believe it can be fairly argued that Malta had done its best in the past when it comes to saving lives at sea.
The AFM responded to distress calls and saved thousands of lives who are forever grateful and may now be living in Europe, Australia, Canada and the US. And the NGOs worked with the government to make sure people were treated with dignity and had access to asylum under Maltese and international law.
A friend of mine who came to Malta on the same boat with me recently returned to the island. He was resettled to the US in 2010 under the resettlement programme and has built a successful life there. He owns a grocery store, restaurant and barber shop. After nine years of hard work, his first trip was to Malta to pay respect to the country that saved him and personally thank the NGOs that assisted him during his stay and resettlement process.
It is not uncommon to meet hard-working former refugees from Malta, who are now successful US citizens and have nothing but gratitude to Malta and its people for giving them the chance to a new life and pursue their dreams.
I am grateful too but saddened by the current discourse. Those people on the boat saw the same light I saw on the horizon, but they were left to die or go back to a country where their lives will be gravely at risk and dreams certainly shattered. In what way do Malta and the Maltese benefit from such cruel treatment, if it’s not to quench the racist thirst of some people?
I have been following Foreign Minister Evarist Bartolo’s approach on the recent tragedy. I have always appreciated his understanding of the complex issues of asylum and immigration. Mr Bartolo, I urge you to have a guiding principle when it comes to saving lives at sea. Life is too precious and you just don’t take it hostage in order to negotiate assistance from the EU, to prove any point, or for any other reason for that matter.
I believe it is right to request assistance from the EU and even from the US, but saving lives comes first. In 2011, during the Libyan uprising, I remember the false prediction that immigrants were getting ready to come to Malta in biblical proportions. I argued at the time that it was a false assumption and such fearmongering will only contribute to more hatred and racism against refugees. The prediction was false in 2011 and certainly is today. However, a small number of asylum seekers may be too many for Malta due to its size and population density and that is why the government should focus on raising diplomatic efforts, rather than pushbacks or worse, letting people die.
Mr Bartolo, I hope you will lead by example among the rest of your government who sadly seem to have little respect for human lives.
As for the NGOs, you are the real beacon of hope and decency. My former boss once said that she does this work because as a Maltese citizen she demands that the human rights declaration as enshrined under Maltese and international laws are respected and followed through.
I know you do what you do, not because you have anything to benefit, as others falsely claim, but because you are people of a high moral calibre with a strong sense of justice and decency. You are my champions! Thank you!