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World Refugee Day 2023: How can Malta be more welcoming to refugees?

Malta Refugee Council statement on World Refugee Day 2023

Every year, World Refugee Day invites us to remember the men, women and children who were forced to flee their homes in search of safety. This year, to mark Malta’s forthcoming launch of its second National Integration Policy and Action Plan, the Malta Refugee Council wishes to urge Malta to develop a clear and inclusive pathway towards refugees being accepted and welcome.

Refugees who have settled here need better guidance on what it takes for them to be truly welcome in Malta. From the moment of their arrival, they are repeatedly told that Malta can never be their home. This harsh message follows them along their paths, where they are constantly subjects of criticism, discrimination and exclusion. After years of life in Malta and despite their best efforts, they remain on-lookers of Malta’s social and cultural life, burdened with the knowledge that Malta will never really be home.

‘I receive much more than I give’

Emmanuelle Gautier (55) lives in a small village of 300 people in the Beaujolais region in France. The web journalist and author of podcasts is a volunteer at Forum réfugiés, a non-profit organization that – amongst others – supports the integration of refugees into French society.

‘Two years ago, the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan really moved and shocked me’, Emmanuelle says. ‘It was then that I decided to offer my help to refugees. In my opinion, it is essential to offer linguistic and cultural bridges to these people, so they can get a foothold in France.’

A new cooperation to strengthen our fight against illegal detention, because #ThereAreAlternatives

We are thrilled to announce a new cooperation that will strengthen our fight against illegal detention in Malta. Throughout 2023, we will be cooperating with the German NGO PRO ASYL in all our detention activities. This cooperation will boost our #ThereAreAlternatives campaign, pushing for Malta to bring its practices in line with fundamental human rights law.

In particular, PRO ASYL is providing us with financial support that will allow our lawyers to be more present in the detention centres to meet detained persons and see to their legal needs. This cooperation is also ensuring that our lawyers are able to visit our clients with much-needed interpreters, and to provide the people we meet with Fact Sheets about their legal situation.

Much more than bicycles for refugees!

Bicpop is a bicycle repair workshop in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. In the shop, old bicycles are collected and repaired together by refugees and locals. Repaired bikes are then donated to refugees and other people who might need them. Still, the shop is much more: it is a place of solidarity where refugees and the citizens of Zagreb connect and make new friends.

Marina is a volunteer in BicPop and contributes to this simple, yet important story. She says: ‘We’re doing something useful in and for the community. That is something that everyone needs, even more than the bikes themselves.‘

Seeking asylum is a human right!

Stop violence at the border! Seeking asylum is a human right.

Give solidarity a chance!

Sign the petition in English or in Maltese!