JESUIT REFUGEE SERVICE

– 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.