Updated 3.30pm
The Mimici Foundation has joined the fundraising movement that over the weekend scrambled to help stop the 'eviction' of 22 children.
The foundation, which in the past has helped migrant children and youths with their education, has pledged a donation of €15,000 towards the cause.
Chair Francis Vassallo told Times of Malta that the voluntary organisation was set up in memory of his wife Erminia (sive Mimici), who passed away from cancer in 2013.
She would not allow children to be separated from their families
"Had she been alive, she would have done the same, if not more, as she would not allow children to be separated from their families," the former Central Bank governor said.
The children, some of whom are as young as two years, are being threatened with eviction after their residence permits were refused by Identity Malta.
This, according to the government entity, is because their parents do not have enough money to sustain them. The parents do not satisfy the financial requirements of a policy that requires third country nationals to earn €19,000 a year and €3,800 extra for each child.
The children include a child born in Malta and in possession of a local ID card, who is considered “legal” by all other institutions except Identity Malta.
On Sunday, opera lovers collected almost €4,000 for the cause, after heeding an appeal by Archbishop Charles Scicluna and tenor Joseph Calleja.
The tenor will be topping up the donation collected at the end of the BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation Fundraising Concert, and handing it to Caritas Malta, which is collecting funds for the cause.
Earlier, Mgr Scicluna offered the authorities the Church’s help to solve the issue, while urging his congregation to ‘adopt’ these children,
Anybody wanting to make a donation to help the children could direct donations to Caritas Malta quoting “the 22 migrant kids”.
Policy requires third-country nationals to earn €19,000 a year and €3,800 extra for each child
A public Facebook group called Leave them kids alone has meanwhile been created urging social media users to come together and make a difference by helping these families out.
A petition by Newsbook urging against the expulsion of the children has also garnered more than 3,000 signatures.
News about the enforcement of the policy, which can be waived “at the sole discretion of the director” if both parents are in employment but do not reach the amount stipulated, drew criticism from all ends of social media.