Some immigrants call off hunger strike

Illegal immigrants detained at the Ta' Kandja and Safi detention centres yesterday called off a hunger strike, soon after being addressed by Peace Lab director Dionysius Mintoff.

The immigrants at Ta' Kandja had started the action eight days ago, in protest against their prolonged detention. On Thursday they were joined by immigrants at Safi and Hal Far.

The Hal Far immigrants were believed to be still on hunger strike yesterday, and were due to be visited by Fr Mintoff later.

When contacted, Fr Mintoff said he told the immigrants he could not promise them freedom but only his support, as he strongly opposed detention.

An illegal immigrant detained at Ta' Kandja was taken to hospital on Sunday because of his condition.

The striking immigrants were also visited by Mgr Philip Calleja on Sunday.

Meanwhile, a 30-year-old immigrant from Sierra Leone, who has been in detention at Hal Far for the past 18 months, said in a telephone call to The Times yesterday that the strike at his detention centre was still on.

The immigrants are still in detention for a number of different reasons. They are either waiting for their application for refugee status, submitted to the UNHCR, to be processed, for their appeal to be decided upon after their application was rejected, or to be repatriated following the rejection of their appeal.

The migrant from Sierra Leone, who preferred not to be named, said his application for refugee status and his appeal had been rejected. But he was now afraid of being sent back to his country.

"We want our freedom. It does not make sense to keep us behind bars, we are not thieves," he said.

"We cannot understand what is going on about us. We are human beings. We are depressed," he said.

There are some 74 immigrants being detained at Safi, 28 at Ta' Kandja and 40 at Ta' Qali.