A round up of some news concerning migration that made headlines in Malta:
-The commemoration of the 4th anniversary of the death of Lassana Cisse
- A boat carrying 440 people stranded at sea in the Malta SAR zone for 4 days
- A story of inclusion between the Hamrun Spartan football club and the Primary section of St Benedict’s College in Birżebbuġa.
The 6th April 2023 marked 4 years since the murder of Lassana Cissé,
A 42-year-old asylum seeker from Ivory Coast who was killed in a racially-motivated drive-by shooting in Ħal Far.
To commemorate his death, many initiatives were taken by human rights activists.
A group of 44 NGOs, among which African Media, issued a press statement denouncing the responsibility that the government bears in the tragic death of Cisse, pointing out the negative political rhetoric, and inhumane immigration policies that suggested that migrants of color and black migrants may be treated as inferior people.
African Media collected testimonies of support from random young people at the Valletta city gate and compiled them in a video available online.
Cisse was allegedly killed by two off duty soldiers of the Armed Forces of Malta. Today, as we speak, the perpetrators are out on bail.
Another story of migration that made headlines this past week is the refusal by the Maltese authorities to disembark a boat carrying four hundred and forty people in its search and rescue zone.
. The boat and its passengers that included 8 women and 30 children spent four days at sea, without food, nor water, battling a storm and waves, before being eventually rescued by a vessel belonging to the NGO Doctors without borders. All migrants were disembarked to Italy, except for one person who was airlifted in emergency to Malta by helicopter, due to his health conditions.
Still about migration, but on a positive note this round, Hamrun Spartans Football School of Excellence
by organising a football event during the Holy week.
The activities were conducted with younger students at the Primary section of St Benedict’s College in Birżebbuġa. It is a school with kids from some 40 different nationalities and they all call Mlata home. During the event, Ħamrun Spartans stars Elvis Mashike and Dodo Soares hailing from Congo and CapomVerde delivered a message of hope, calling on the young kids present to never give up and continue chasing their dreams.
On Easter and Ramadan,
Christians and Muslims communed briefly during the Paschal Triduum between April 6 and 8, as the holy week leading up to the celebration of Easter could be considered a final reminder of fasting for practising Christians.
Muslim believers have started the Ramadan fast since March 22, or 23 depending on where they live. It will end between April 20, 21 or 22, depending on the location.
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