Refugee Stories Project - Malta

Hadish

editor — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 17:15:12 +0000

Summary

Hadish fled Eritrea after being imprisoned for campaigning for a democratic constitution. He crossed the Mediterranean sea when he failed to find protection in neighbouring African countries and was detained on arrival in Malta.

Body

Hadish loves his country very much. As he talks about the beauty and riches of Eritrea, it is clear he feels it would be much too dangerous to return in the current political climate.

"I was very lucky, because I managed to survive here in Malta - the rest of my friends that were detained with me [in Eritrea], some lost their life; others no one knows their whereabouts."

Hadish will not rest until there is stability in Eritrea but he is patient. Until he can return, he does what he can to support his family, he looks out for fellow nationals and he works tirelessly to raise awareness about the problems asylum seekers are facing in Malta.

His experience of being detained as an asylum seeker shocked him, but the reactions he has encountered since he was released have troubled him even more.

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Solomon

editor — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 17:32:17 +0000

Summary

In his late fifties, Solomon escaped political imprisonment in Ethiopia 13 years ago. He eventually found himself in Malta, where he was detained for eight months and has since been denied refugee status.

Body

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."

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Malta

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detention

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return

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protection beyond Europe