Need for home to accommodate women and children

Emigrants' Commission director Mgr Philip Calleja has a dream: to open a home for women with children who come to Malta as illegal immigrants but who are granted refugee status or given official humanitarian protection.

"The situation is already difficult and following the large influx of immigrants in recent months it was bound to become more precarious as more immigrants are declared refugees or given humanitarian status.

"My dream is to provide the basic privacy and necessities to the women and children who have no one to sustain them and cannot do this themselves because they have to look after their children," Mgr Calleja said in an interview.

All premises for refugees at the disposal of the Emigrants' Commission are now full.

The commission provided shelter for over 109 people who have been given refugee status or who officially require humanitarian protection. Another 20 would also soon be given a place to live in, Mgr Calleja said.

Apart from accommodation, the commission provides them with blankets, beds, mattresses, phone cards, disinfectants and other basic needs.

Mgr Calleja said that among those who were provided accommodation by the commission were single men and young men, mostly Somalis and Iraqis, who are staying at the Good Shepherd Home in Balzan.

Others were accommodated at the Augustinian Fathers Home in St Paul's Bay while women are now being given shelter at Dar Gesu Nazzarenu, Zejtun.

The rest are staying at Dar San Pawl Milqi, Floriana and in the Luke Gauci block, in Guardamangia.

Among those being afforded shelter are women, not accompanied by their husband, with up to five children. There is another woman with six children but the average is three children for each woman.

"The problem with these women was so serious that I wanted to see if it was possible to have a block where women could be accommodated with their young ones.

"These women need this support to ensure that the children are provided with education and a good upbringing so that they will not have to depend on others when they grow up," Mgr Calleja said.

Mgr Calleja said the need for the new home had become more pressing in recent months.

"My dream is to have a home where we can see to all the needs of these people," he explained as he explored two possibilities - to convert one of the houses owned by the commission or use some other property owned by the Church.

The new home would provide the refugees with privacy and other basic human necessities, he said.

Mgr Calleja said he was also currently trying to help 15 immigrants from Nigeria, Ghana and Mali who were being repatriated to their countries but who needed assistance, including money, to reach their homes when they arrive at the airport in their country. These also need shoes and underwear, apart from other clothes.

Mgr Calleja expressed concern at the likely prospect of having to provide more accommodation when more "illegal immigrants" are granted refugee or humanitarian status.

Children are attending state schools while elder refugees attend English language lessons organised by the Emigrants Commission.

Mgr Calleja said the government provided relief money, a daily Lm1 per child or Lm2 per adult. This is slightly lower in the case of married couples who each receive Lm50 per month.

This relief was only given for the first two months until the husband finds work. Women on their own who did not work continue to receive the Lm2 daily allowance, he said.

One could not specify how long it would take to find a country where the refugees may resettle. Immigrants given humanitarian status stay in Malta until the situation in their country changes or improves.

Mgr Calleja said a delegation from the International Organisation for Migration was expected in Malta soon to discuss the possibility of more resettlements.

Mgr Calleja said that since 1992, the commission had processed some 4,000 refugee cases, 3,000 of whom were helped to resettle in Canada, Australia, the US and in Europe.

"My appeal for Christmas on behalf of the refugees and their children is not for sweets and toys. The appeal is for basic necessities such as shoes and phonecards to enable them to contact relatives."

The commission has set up a number of committees for the homes to be able to provide the service.

Mgr Calleja said there were over 900 illegal immigrants currently in Malta, with 66 arriving last week.