Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/849592
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 16 JULY 2017 Opinion 26 They have no work permit, they live on a meagre daily allowance from the state, and they live their days in the boredom of the heaving open centres – aimless and stuck in limbo. The destiny of Malta's estimated 2,000 rejected asylum seekers who await a removal order is bleak, often unknown, and from here starts their trail into the black economy and maybe, trafficked again out of the is- land into Europe, where again they will be immerse themselves into the black market in a bid to earn a meagre living. A study by the Jesuit Refugee Soci- ety on destitute migrants effectively reveals how, bereft of any form of legal status or rights, rejected asylum seek- ers are easily immersed into the black economy and have little scope or aim in integrating with Maltese society. This is a real case of destitution – the poorest members of Maltese society are in fact African migrants whose claims for asylum have been rejected. Stripped of any legal entitlement, these failed asylum seekers effectively await deportation in the open centre. But deportation is a process that takes months, shackled by long waits for documentation, visas, and transit visas. And during this period, individuals with a removal order are expected to live on a Lm1.75 daily allowance in the open centres. The report says that the Maltese state acknowledges rejected asylum seekers, issuing them with a short-term visa which is, however, often renewed at the authorities' discretion. Effectively, when the visa is not renewed, they are illegally staying in Malta. But without being entitled to a work permit, rejected asylum seekers in open centres rely on NGOs for food, clothing and other essentials, and on any sort of irregular employment they can get. The worst aspect is the lack of scope for integration: rejected asylum seekers feel socially excluded, and the living conditions in open centres are poor. State contact is limited to the issuance of a visa. They hide from the authori- ties because of their irregular stay on the territory and are prohibited from accessing the formal labour market, which is a barrier to their participation in society. As the report says, many of these rejected claimants are stuck in destitu- tion, without a full set of legal and social rights because the Maltese state is unsuccessful in removing them for practical reasons. Their access to healthcare is not even guaranteed under law, but based on practice, the report states, and while healthcare remains free of charge, medicines should be paid for. Still, rejected asylum seekers in some cases do not visit hospitals when in need due to a fear that medical staff will report them. The JRS report recommended that all entitlements for rejected asylum seek- ers are incorporated into Maltese law, and grant them access to healthcare, housing and social support, and the right to access the formal labour mar- ket up until the moment of return. Invisibles – Malta's 2,000 rejected asylum seekers News – 18 July 2007 Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. Vassallo and Fenech are not alone on gay marriage The spider's web I agree completely with Edwin Vassallo and Tonio Fenech's stand on the new marriage bill and what should have been the PN's position. I identify myself with their thoughts and beliefs. May there be members of parlia- ment and other politicians who express the same views and are courageous enough to act accordingly in the future. Many people are fed up observing how a certain element of Maltese society and our political class are abandoning our traditional values and choosing a God- less society. I obviously don't think that a fundamentalist state is in order but, on the other hand, what's wrong in having an enriching Catholic presence in our parliament and what's wrong in having politicians who are not hypo- crites and practise their faith also through their political involvement? When a person expresses his/her views everybody would agree that he/she has every right to do so. So why do so many people judge that very same person and think that he/she is imposing him- self/herself on others when instead of ideas and opinions he/she puts forward his/her religious beliefs, values and morality? Well done to Vassallo and Fenech. So many people are feeling represented in parliament through Vassallo's choice. He is not alone; I'm sure there are thousands who believe he made the correct choice. Joseph Attard Bahrija In the late 1990s, the local media reported a criminal case involving a man from St Julian's who had sexually mo- lested a ten-year old boy. The man was sentenced to four years in prison, and sent to jail right away. No pious Catholic pleaded "human frailty" on his behalf, as Catholics often do when Catholic priests are guilty of the same crime. No Christian came up with the stock phrase they always use to defend their priests: "He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone" (while forget- ting what Jesus said regarding those who scandalize chil- dren). The media recently reported the case of a Gozitan priest who had been charged with performing lewd acts on three minor girls, violently and indecently assaulting them. During the court proceedings, it was alleged that the priest tried to kiss one of the girls during confession. Another girl observed that the celibate priest had the mannerisms of a "boyfriend". A further allegation was that he had pulled one of the girls close to him, and fondling her uttered the words "cosy, cosy". The priest was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for three years, after being found guilty of molesting an underage girl. The law is a spider's web that catches the little f lies and lets the big bugs escape. John Guillaumier St Julian's Edwin Vassallo (left) and Tonio Fenech