Malta
Malta’s location in the Mediterranean has made it a common port of arrival for thousands of migrants and asylum seekers who set off from the coast of Libya towards Europe. They are then kept for up to 18 months in detention centres where they face overcrowding, inadequate sanitation and poor living conditions. This environment often has damaging effects on their physical and mental health. MSF has been treating patients both within and outside the detention centres.
Between January and October 2009, more than 1,150 migrants and asylum seekers landed in Malta, more than half of whom were Somali. Many were already suffering from psychological problems as a result of their often traumatic experiences in their home...
08 December 2011
refugee crises in 2011 and challenges for the future
07 September 2010
To my family
Mogadishu, Somalia
It has been a long time. The journey was long: over two years to get here. I went through Ethiopia and Sudan, I crossed the Sahara to reach Tripoli, and finally got on a boat on the Mediterranean Sea. But that boat never made it to Europe. We got lost at sea and spent days without food or water. Eighteen people died. I was lucky to survive, but back in Libya they sent me straight to prison. That was not so lucky. It was a tough year in prison. When I left, I got on another boat and this time we landed in Malta. Life here is not exactly what I expected. Sometimes I find things very difficult. But at least here I have peace. I miss everyone. But I can’t go back.
The full story...
10 September 2010
Migration postcards
