Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1278887
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 AUGUST 2020 INTERVIEW It is often said that immigration is a burden on Malta's limited resources, and that the number of arrivals – coupled with the duration of the asylum process, and the fact that failed asylum seekers often end up stuck here – is 'unsustainable'. From your experience as AWAS director, how much truth is there to this perception? Are the current numbers overwhelming our re- ception/detention system? Yes, the current numbers are overwhelming and unsustaina- ble, especially when compared to the size of the population and the size of our reception facili- ties. The proportion of migrants that Malta has been receiving would translate into hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of migrants in other larger Euro- pean countries. In reality, however, this is not only a matter of space. A number of other stakeholders are also involved in the asylum process: mainly the Police, the Detention Services, the health authorities and the Internation- al Protection Agency. All these entities, not just AWAS, are punching above their weight to respond to the phenomenon of illegal migration. Obviously, COVID-19 contin- ued to exacerbate the pressure that we are already facing. Given your concern with the logistics of the present situa- tion, do you feel there has been enough investment in human and other resources? In 2019, for instance, there were only around 175 AWAS staff-mem- bers working in several recep- tion centres; and the number of residents at these centres has since increased… Currently there are more than 200 employees, excluding secu- rity personnel, working in the facilities run by AWAS. Mi- gration is not really a popular sector to work in. Nonetheless, we are managing to build a ded- icated team which focuses on the overall welfare of the asylum seekers, rather than simply the provision of material support. Even if we were provided with all the resources in the world, though, the constant arrival of new migrants makes it diffi- cult to implement new projects and invest in your workforce. In the last 12 months the staff complement continued to in- crease, however we have to keep in mind that boat arrivals increased by over 130% in 2019 over the previous year. New arrivals in 2020, and the coronavirus pandemic, have made matters even harder. On the subject of COVID-19, there was at least one outbreak in detention centres during the first wave, and it is no secret that 65 rescued migrants test- ed positive in a single day. Be- yond contributing to national COVID-19 statistics: how has the pandemic impacted the job of administering open centres in Malta? Do you feel that the existing safety precautions (for both migrants and staff) are sufficient? We had anticipated that COVID-19 would affect our op- erations, and contingency plans were put into place. AWAS took measures to reduce overcrowd- ing inside its centres, and a new medical facility was set up to deal specifically with migrants testing positive for the virus. Thankfully we managed to en- dure the first wave of the pan- demic almost unscathed, also with the support of organisa- tions such as the UNCHR and the Malta Red Cross, as well as the migrants themselves. The effective system of constant monitoring, testing and isola- tion is still in place. There has been a lot of criti- cism regarding the conditions of detention; and in October 2019, tensions boiled over in- to a riot in Hal Far, resulting in damage to the centre and a few injuries (including of AWAS employees). Was this a one-off incident arising from specific circumstances? Or does it re- flect a general deterioration of the tensions/conditions at these facilities? Usually the situation in Hal Far is very calm, save for very isolat- ed incidents. Nowadays we have more professional and special- ised teams working within the centres, more support workers and the newly-introduced re- ception facility officers. The latter are trained to maintain constant communication with the residents, and tackle issues in the shortest time possible. The overall conditions inside the centre have improved grad- ually; we have given more access to NGOs, and there are plans to set up a Migrants Advice Unit, which will guide asylum seekers on matters such as the asylum process and voluntary return programmes. AWAS will also be introduc- ing the Unaccompanied Minors Protection Service in the com- ing weeks… All the same, in the aftermath AWAS itself staged a protest outside Castille, calling for more protection for its em- ployees. Can you outline the agency's basic demands in this context? And what was the outcome of the meeting with Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia? There were a number of fac- tors which spurred the protest outside Castille. The employ- ees were still shocked at what happened in Hal Far, and they demanded better protection in- side the centre. The discussions which ensued, following the ri- ot, led to an increase in security as well as compensation for the damages sustained. But I also think that the em- ployees wanted recognition for the service they are giving to this country. AWAS is usual- ly targeted by both sides of the immigration debate: those who are opposed to migration, and those who work to support the migrant community. Very often we speak of "Hal Far" or "the migrants' centres"; but we tend to forget that these centres are run by workers who try to give the best possible service to men, women, children and families around the clock. Responding to the same event, the Faculty of Education called on the authorities "to reflect on the policies the country adopts in relation to migration, including its integration strate- gies. Ghettoing people in a par- ticular locality, leaving them in a state of uncertainty, and de facto punishing those who are simply seeking to escape hell or seek a decent life, is lead- As CEO of the government's Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers, MAURO FARRUGIA often finds himself caught in the crossfire of the immigration debate. He calls for more objectivity when dealing with such a complex, sensitive issue Between a rock and a hard place Raphael Vassallo rvassallo@mediatoday.com.mt