Joint NGO Statement: Survivors of traumatic incidents at sea need support, not detention!

aditus foundation and Jesuit Refugee Service (Malta) are extremely saddened by the recent news of yet another tragedy at sea that resulted in several people dying. We are further upset by Malta’s treatment of the survivors. According to news sites that we are unable to confirm, 21 persons were taken to Malta’s main detention centre. 

We underline that anyone going through such a horrific experience requires immediate psychological support. The survivors came within inches of death whilst at the same time witnessing their friends and possibly loved ones drowning around them. No words can possibly describe the mental state they must be in.

We therefore strongly urge Malta to offer them all the psychological support they require, particularly to the most vulnerable. This support cannot be provided in detention, but requires a safe and caring space. This is an opportunity for Malta to do what is right. 

As always, we stand ready to provide our own services as soon as we are able to.

(AFM photo of the boat while out at sea: Jonathan Borg, from Times of Malta)


Maltese Court rules that Access to Detention Centres by Public Watchdogs is key to holding authorities to account

A Maltese court, presided over by Mr. Justice Toni Abela, recently ruled that journalists, in their role as public watchdogs, must have access to detention centres in which migrants and asylum-seekers are held and to Corradino Correctional Facility [Emanuel Delia Vs L-Onorevoli Byron Camilleri et. Rikors Numru 201/20TA, December 2023]. In a case instituted by Maltese journalist Manuel Delia, it was argued that the refusal to allow access to journalists to detention and prison is a breach of the right to freedom of expression and allows for the actions of the authorities to be subject to public scrutiny.

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Malta’s detention regime blasted by the European Court of Human Rights!

Malta must take concrete steps to bring its detention regime in line with human rights standards. The European Court of Human Rights has said this in no unclear teams in a judgement we are celebrating as a victory for human rights in Malta!

Today, the Court delivered judgement in A.D. v. Malta. Together with JRS Malta, we had brought this case in March 2022 whilst AD was in detention and in collaboration with Advancing Child Right Strategic Litigation, ACRiSL.

The Court found a violation of Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment), Article 5 (right to liberty) and Article 13 in conjunction with Article 3 (right to an effective remedy).

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The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and refugees: what’s the link?

The project Rooting for Rights (R4R) brings together human rights organisations and experts from Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Portugal, as well the Greek National Commission of Human Rights (GNCHR), being lead organisations in the area of asylum within their national contexts. Our intention is to answer the question: “the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and refugees: what’s the link?”

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