JESUIT REFUGEE SERVICE

JESUIT REFUGEE SERVICESERVIZZ TAL-ĠIŻWITI MAR-REFUĠJATIStatement by Jesuit Refugee Service Malta on “Suspended Lives” campaignVerżjoni bil-Malti aktar ’l isfel“When you are a refugee there is something you pay, and you pay this from your life.”These are the words of one of the protagonists of “Suspended Lives”, a documentary centred aroundthe lives of migrants in Malta, which tells, in their own words, of the hardships they face.“The documentary was initially meant to be an educational and informative tool, highlighting theresults of a pilot study conducted by the ANDES network (Advocacy Network for Destitute ForcedMigrants) over the past two years,” said Dr Roberta Buhagiar, coordinator of the network in Malta.The pilot study on migrant destitution, which looked at how the Maltese reception system affects thelives of asylum seekers and migrants in Malta, identified the main categories of forced migrantswhich are facing hardship as well as a number of causative or contributing factors that increasedvulnerability to destitution. It revealed that the lack of adequate allowance benefits and theautomatic loss of such benefits when certain policy rules are applied are major elements contributingto vulnerability to destitution. The study also showed that the rules regulating the provision ofsupport by the state are very restrictive; this means that it is often very difficult, not to sayimpossible, for destitute beneficiaries of international protection to obtain state support, even if theyare legally entitled to it.“The focus of the documentary changed over time, as what emerged from the interviews conductedwas more than just information. It was an awakening that showed the deep scars which asylumseekers carry all throughout their journey. The final product does not discuss law or policy and it isnot meant to be political or controversial, but simply to reveal the realities, hopes, fears andhardships that asylum seekers face everyday,” she added.While acknowledging that the past few years have been very challenging for Malta and that muchhas been done to meet the needs of the large numbers of irregular migrants and asylum seekers whoarrived during this time, JRS Malta urged the authorities not to shy away from further challenges inthis field, particularly in the areas of integration. The organization called upon all involved to continuebuilding upon the existing dialogue and cooperation and to develop the services and structuresnecessary to ensure that asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection may continueto enjoy effective protection in Malta.S T A L O Y S I U S ’ C O L L E G E S P O R T S C O M P L E X • 5 0 , T R I Q I X - X O R R O X • B I R K I R K A R A B K R 1 6 3 1 • M A L T AP H O N E : + 3 5 6 2 1 4 4 2 7 5 1 • F A X : + 3 5 6 2 1 4 4 2 7 5 2 • E M A I L : i n f o @ j r s m a l t a . o r g • w w w . j r s m a l t a . o r gJ e s u i t R e f u g e e S e r v i c e ( J R S ) M a l t a F o u n d a t i o n i s a r e g i s t e r e d v o l u n t a r y o r g a n i s a t i o n : V O / 0 0 6 4

– 2 –“Suspended Lives” was launched today, in an activity marking International Migrants Day (18December). During 2011 the documentary will be the focus of an awareness-raising campaign,highlighting the hardships faced by asylum seekers and forced migrants in Malta.Background information:Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)JRS is an international non-governmental organization, with a mission to accompany, serve anddefend refugees and forcibly displaced people.ANDES projectOver the past two years JRS Malta has been working on a project entitled “Advocacy Network forDestitute Forced Migrants” (ANDES) which is part of a larger JRS Europe project funded by theEuropean Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM) and the Network of EuropeanFoundations (NEF). Its overall goal is to bring people together to work to obtain a policy change atnational and European levels to improve access to accommodation, employment, health care andeducation for asylum seekers and forced migrants.“Suspended Lives” CampaignJRS Malta is launching an awareness-raising campaign centered around this documentary, which willcome to an end on World Refugee Day (20 June) 2011. During this campaign JRS Malta will beholding a number of free public screenings. The first screening will be held on Sunday, 19 December2010. The dates and venues of the screenings in 2011 will be announced at a later stage. All thosewho wish to attend a screening of the documentary are kindly requested to send their reservation onthe following email address: suspendedlives@jrsmalta.orgThe documentary is rated PG (parental guidance).Stqarrija mis-Servizz tal-Ġiżwiti mar-Refuġjati fuq il-kampanja“Suspended Lives”“Meta tkun refuġjat hemm xi ħaġa li tħallas, u tħallas minn ħajtek.”Dawn huma l-kliem ta’ waħda mill-protagonisti f’“Suspended Lives”, dokumentarju fuq il-ħajja ta’ l-immigranti f’Malta li jirrakkonta, fi kliemhom stess, id-diffikultajiet li jħabbtu wiċċhom magħhom.“Inizjalment id-dokumentarju kien intiż biex ikun għodda informattiva u edukattiva, li jitfa’ dawl fuqir-riżultati ta’ studju preliminari li sar mill-ANDES network (Advocacy Network for Destitute ForcedMigrants) matul dawn l-aħħar sentejn,” qalet Dr Roberta Buhagiar, il-koordinatriċi tan-networkf’Malta.L-istudju preliminari fuq il-faqar fost l-immigranti ta titwila lejn kif is-sistema Maltija li tilqa’ l-persunili qegħdin ifittxu l-ażil taffetwa l-ħajja tagħhom, u identifika l-kategoriji ewlenin ta’ immigranti likellhom bilfors jaħarbu minn pajjiżhom u li għandhom bosta diffikultajiet. L-istudju jidentifika ukollnumru ta’ fatturi li jikkawżaw jew jikkontribwixxu lejn ir-riskju ta’ faqar, u juri kif ir-regoli li jipprovdugħal għajnuna mingħand l-istat huma restrittivi ħafna. Dan ifisser illi ħafna drabi huwa veramentdiffiċli, jekk mhux impossibli, li persuni li għandhom il-protezzjoni internazzjonali u li qed ibatu l-faqarjirċievu l-għajnuna mingħand l-istat, anke jekk dawn huma legalment intitolati għaliha.

– 3 –“Id-direzzjoni li ħa id-dokumentarju nbidlet maż-żmien, peress illi dak li ħareġ mill-intervisti ligħamilna kien iktar minn sempliċiment informazzjoni. Ix-xhieda u t-testimonjanzi li taw il-protagonistikixfu kif l-esperjenzi li ġarrbu ser jibqgħu iġorruhom għal ħajjithom kollha. Id-dokumentarju majiddiskutix il-liġi jew il-politika u mhuwiex maħsub sabiex ikun kontroversjali, imma sempliċiment jurir-realtajiet, il-biżgħat u d-diffikultajiet li persuni li jfittxu l-ażil jħabtu wiċċhom magħhom ta’ kuljum,”żiedet tgħid.Filwaqt li napprezzaw il-fatt li dawn l-aħħar snin kienu snin diffiċli għal Malta u li, matul dan iż-żmien,sar ħafna xogħol sabiex iwiegħġeb għall-bżonnijiet ta’ l-immigranti irregolari u l-persuni li jfittxu l-ażil,il-JRS ħeġġeġ lill-awtoritajiet sabiex ma jibżgħux mill-isfidi li għad fadal f’dan il-qasam, speċjalmentfejn tidħol l-integrazzjoni. L-organizzazzjoni ħeġġet ukoll lil dawk kollha involuti sabiex ikomplu jibnufuq id-djalogu u l-kooperazzjoni li diġá jeżistu u biex ikunu żviluppati s-servizzi u l-istrutturi neċessarjibiex persuni li qed iffitxu l-ażil u dawk li għandhom il-protezzjoni internazzjonali jkomplu jgawdu millprotezzjonieffettiva li toffri Malta.“Suspended Lives” tnieda illum, f’attivitá li tfakkar il-Jum Internazzjonali ta’ l-Immigranti. F’2011 iddokumentarjuser ikun il-bażi ta’ kampanja intiża biex tqajjem kuxjenza billi titfa’ dawl fuq iddiffikultajietli jgħaddu minnhom meta jaslu Malta persuni li qegħdin ifittxu l-ażil u immigranti likellhom jaħarbu minn pajjiżhom.Informazzjoni oħra:Servizz tal-Ġiżwiti mar-Refuġjati (JRS)Il-JRS huwa organizzazzjoni mhux governattiva internazzjonali bil-missjoni li takkumpanja, isservi utiddefendi r-refuġjati u persuni li kellhom jaħarbu minn pajjiżhom.Il-proġett ANDESF’dawn l-aħħar sentejn il-JRS ħadem fuq proġett bl-isem “Advocacy Network for Destitute ForcedMigrants” (ANDES) li huwa parti minn proġett akbar żviluppat mill-JRS Europe u ffinanzjat mill-European Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM) u n-Network of European Foundations(NEF). L-għan ewlieni tiegħu huwa li jressaq diversi nies u organizzazzjonijiet flimkien sabiex jottjenubidla fil-politika fuq livell nazzjonali kif ukoll Ewropew, u jitjieb l-aċċess għall-akkomodazzjoni, xogħol,kura tas-saħħa, u edukazzjoni għall-immigranti.Il-kampanja “Suspended Lives”Il-JRS nieda kampanija intiża biex tqajjem kuxjenza li hija ibbażata fuq dan id-dokumentarju, u li sertintemm fil-Jum Dinji tar-Refuġjati (20 ta’ Ġunju) 2011. Matul din il-kampanja l-JRS ser juri b’xejn danid-dokumentarju lill-pubbliku. L-ewwel wirja ser issir nhar il-Ħadd, 19 ta’ Diċembru 2010. Id-dati u l-post tal-wirjiet fl-2011 ser ikunu mħabbra iktar tard. Dawk kollha li jixtiequ jattendu wirja ta’ dan iddokumentarjuhuma ġentilment mitluba biex jibagħtu email fuq: suspendedlives@jrsmalta.orgId-dokumentarju għandu ċertifikat ta’ PG.17 December 2010