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In September 2008, I came to Malta as a tourist and spent ten days going around the island with my two friends and we had a good holiday. I thought I wouldn't mind coming back - one of my friends was in a wheelchair and Malta is a difficult place to get around in a wheelchair. I had no idea then that the following year I would actually be living and working there.

Getting the job

I was in Melbourne in July seeing my mother and sister when I got an email from Médecins Sans Frontières with a job profile attached. The profile was entitled Malta and my first reaction was ‘but there is no humanitarian need in Malta’….Ìý

I opened the attachment and it was a complete surprise. I had no idea that people from countries such as Somalia, Eritrea, Mali and Ivory Coast were trying to get by boat from Libya to Italy and ended up being rescued at sea and brought to Malta.

An open centre in Malta.

It sounded really interesting and somewhat different from other MSF missions, so I phoned for more information. On the 10th August, I arrived in Malta to start a six-month mission working in centres where undocumented migrants are sent by the Maltese authorities, some of whom are not allowed to leave.

Working in Malta

Right now I am sitting looking out of the office window. I can see the boats doing the harbour cruises with all the tourists aboard and I imagine they are probably as ignorant as I was last year as to what is really going on in Malta with regard to immigrants. Obviously the centres, whether open or closed, are well off the tourist routes so there is very little chance the ordinary tourist would find these places.Ìý

In the month since my arrival, there have already been four landings, all people from Somalia and the majority of them younger than my own children. As a mother and a grandmother I can't imagine what it must be like to watch your children leaving home, knowing the journey they have ahead if they are eventually to get to Europe (especially as a lot of youngsters have no way of notifying their family if they do make it).Ìý

A boat used to bring migrants from north Africa.

The journey to Malta

The most popular route seems to be from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Sudan across the Sahara and into Libya. The distance alone is absolutely huge and the travel conditions can be terrible. According to the testimonies we have gathered, many pay a good deal of money to be trafficked in lorries and during the journey they are exploited, abused, suffer violence and even rape. Some end up walking. Even on arrival in Libya they are certainly not welcomed with open arms and need to hide and keep a low profile if they do not want to end up in prison.

Most boat journeys take from three to seven days and when I talk about a boat we are really talking about a motorised rubber dinghy holding 80-110 people! Fuel, food and water often run out before the end of the journey making it a real nightmare.

Joan working in Malta.

Needing help

People who have arrived recently were in surprisingly good medical condition, but it has not always been like that and we need to keep in mind that some died before getting as far as Malta. Common complaints are headaches, dizziness and damage to skin as some people have been sitting in salt water, fuel and urine for most of the journey. One lady actually gave birth on board one of these boats but fortunately both mother and baby were fine.

Relative good physical condition can also hide very difficult psychological issues. The toughness of the journey takes its toll on people and that’s why we have a crucial mental health component in the programme.

At the moment we are going to the detention centre four days a week and the open centre once a week to deal with medical issues and assess new arrivals. Malta is definitely not a holiday destination in my eyes anymore.