Thousands of asylum seekers without identity documents have still not been vaccinated and do not know when they will get the jab against COVID-19.
While some vulnerable asylum seekers have received the vaccine, a source at the Agency for Welfare of Asylum Seekers said it was still waiting to hear from the health authorities when the rest of the community would get the jab.
The population of asylum seekers numbered roughly 4,000 at the end of the last year, spread across open and closed centres, according to the Asylum Information Database.
The coordinator of a migrant-related NGO Blue Door English said there was a lot of confusion among asylum seekers as to whether they would be eligible for the vaccine.
Justine Lubnow said she had been approached by a dozen migrants who had been turned away when they tried to register for the jab, since they did not have an ID card.
“They haven’t been given any information and have been approaching me anxiously to find out when they can register,” Lubnow said.
“Some of them aren’t just worried about themselves but also about passing the virus onto someone vulnerable.”
She pointed out that these were people who worked and paid taxes in Malta and deserved peace of mind like the rest of the population.
There were also bound to pose a public health risk if not inoculated, she added.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced that the vaccine would be offered to the whole of the adult population from Monday but sidestepped a question about the issue of jabs for asylum seekers.
They have not been given any information
While it was important for as many people as possible to be vaccinated, the system was set up to ensure the Maltese community took priority, Fearne told Times of Malta.
“We would not like to have a situation where, for example, a tourist who happens to be in Malta applies for the vaccine and because we are giving out vaccines a few days after registration, then this person goes back to their own country,” he said.
“It’s not that it is a bad thing for people around the world to be vaccinated but first we need to make sure that the Maltese community is vaccinated,” he said.
Times of Malta also reported on Wednesday how some expatriates have been struggling to register for the COVID vaccine because of delays related to their identity documents.
Some, who spoke to Times of Malta, said that although they were eligible for the vaccine, they were unable to register because Identity Malta had yet to finalise their identity or residency documentation.