Solomon
As a member of the opposition party in Ethiopia, Solomon was imprisoned twice without charge. After managing to escape from prison, he fled first to Somalia and then found work in the United Arab Emirates, sending his earnings home to support a wife, three children and his father. But he had no legal status and when he was expelled from the UAE for not holding a valid visa, he decided Europe was his only hope. He paid $1200 for passage to Italy, and ended up in Malta when the boat ran out of fuel.
Solomon was detained on arrival in Malta and released after 8 months in consideration of his age. His application for asylum has been rejected and with no permission to work, he worries about his family trying to survive without his support.
"The last time I saw my family was in 1993. It’s been a long time. My children were very small, now they are grown."
Full story (92.78 KB)