Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1517916
9 Unity SUNDAY 24 MARCH 2024 Lara Sammut Debono M.Phil./PhD. Candidate Department of Youth and Community Studies EVER since the 2011 political unrest in the Middle East and Northern African (MENA) re- gion, millions of civilians were forced to flee their own home- land. The 2016 Migration in Malta country profile report stated that these new refugee movements have consequent- ly introduced new challenges to host countries, including but not limited to child marriage. In- deed, the Women's Rights Foun- dation Malta (2017) acknowl- edged the case of a 13-year-old Syrian girl, made to marry her 23-year-old uncle. Local author- ities could not take any action as only marriages carried in ac- cordance with the Marriage Act are deemed as lawful. Presented with these new re- alities, I carried out a study re- searching child marriage with migrants from MENA who set- tled in Malta (Sammut Debono, 2021). The findings of this re- search suggested that most ME- NA migrants accepted their new acquired status, even after being forced to leave their country of origin, and had a relatively smooth resettlement process. Therefore, they did not face any obstacles during the accultura- tion phase and also felt a sense of belonging and acceptance as they reside in Malta whilst also valuing the Maltese authorities. Although practices such as child marriage represent a reality for them, they nevertheless strayed away from them, despite still ob- serving their distinct personality and religious traits while being socially integrated within the Maltese norms and values. However, research participants voiced concern that a particular migrant community distanced themselves from this stance tak- en by the general MENA refugee community and seemed eager to continue living by the norms and values of the country from which they emigrated. In their opinion, this migrant community seemed to be unwilling to adapt to their new positional reality and was at loggerheads with other mem- bers of the MENA community who have settled in and have accepted Maltese cultural norms and values. The perceptions of the partic- ipants suggested this particular Middle Eastern ethnic commu- nity was resistant to integrat- ing within the Maltese society. Although members of this par- ticular ethnic community were eagerly waiting to return to their homeland, political realities are proving otherwise, leaving them stuck in a liminal situation marked by waiting and longing. Since this state of perennial liminality does not allow them to accept the local legislative structures, as a result they feel a lack of belonging and are pre- disposed on safeguarding their traditions, child marriage being one of them. They persist on the continuation of their past life before the Middle East turmoil, resisting the fact that while child marriage might be culturally ac- cepted in their homeland, it is legally incriminating in Malta. For participants, such practic- es are perpetuated as members from this migrant community deem their placement in Malta as transitory, always preparing for a return to their homeland, a return that may indeed nev- er happen. The research study found out that it is as though this community is considering Malta as a stepping stone before their return to their country, feeling that Malta is not their home and striving to overcome obstructs them from altering their cultural lifestyle and traditions. Although the findings convey a tone of respectful empathy on behalf of research participants towards this ethnic group, their experiences and the challenges they face as refugees, they al- so assert that this community experienced difficult times due to their forced migration ex- periences. However, a sense of 'othering' sets in when relating to phenomena like child mar- riage. The participants asserted that even though they try to as- sist this community as much as possible to achieve a smooth re- settlement process, this is hardly achieved as there is little sign of cooperation from the other par- ty. The research concluded that whilst child marriage does oc- cur within the MENA migrant community in Malta, not every- one supports this practice. This forced migration reality is show- ing us clear gaps as both commu- nity members and professionals feel disheartened and expressed the need for more information and training to upskill their out- reach. The issue of child mar- riage seems to be latently pres- ent, without apparent efforts to address this reality. Neglecting such an issue and veering away from uncomfortable discussions may be at risk of violating the basic human rights of girls and young women in Malta who may be exposed to child marriage. It is important to note that the Mal- tese Authorities have expressed their willingness to abide by the Target 5.3 of the United Nations' Sustainable Goal Development which supports gender equality and empowerment. When looking at the short- term goals that should be con- sidered when dealing with child marriage, both professional and community representatives strongly suggest the need for more training and open discus- sions. Community members suggested starting off addressing community or religious leaders who would in turn involve their respective communities. Profes- sionals called for inter-ministeri- al and inter-professional training as well as open discussions in- volving all stakeholders and ulti- mately public consultation. The importance of including experts from the medical field emerg- es from this research, as child marriages are directly related to other repercussions impinging on health. Social workers, youth workers and psychologists could also provide a positive input. As "exploratory' as this study might have been, it presented a practice involving minors and elements of potential human rights violations. In conclusion, a holistic approach in dealing with this reality is becoming in- creasingly crucial. References International Organization for Mi- gration. (2015). Migration in Mal- ta. Country profile 2015. https:// m a l t a . i o m . i n t / s i t e s / g / f i l e s / tmzbdl1101/files/documents/ Migration%2520in%2520Mal- t a % 2 5 2 0 C o u n t r y % 2 5 2 0 P r o - file%25202015.pdf Sammut Debono, L. (2021). Child marriage: An exploratory re- search within the MENA refugee community living in Malta. Un- published Masters Dissertation, Department of Youth and Com- munity Studies, Faculty for Social Wellbeing, University of Malta. Women's Rights Foundation. (2017). The state of women in Malta. https://www.wrf.org.mt/ post/the-state-of-women-in- malta Child marriage in Malta An emerging hidden reality An exploratory study presents a practice involving minors and elements of potential human rights violations