Detained And Facing Deportation, This Man Might Never See His Maltese Family Again: ‘He’s A Father To My Children’
A quick stop at the police station by a Moroccan man and his Maltese partner has turned into a never-ending nightmare after he was detained, sent to Ħal Safi and deprived of his family, with the threat of deportation looming over his shoulder.
“He’s a good man. He’s a father figure with my children. He’s my husband. This is not right,” the woman, who spoke to Lovin Malta, said.
Abdel* first arrived in Malta 14 years ago in 2008 but had his asylum application rejected in 2011. Since then, he has been an irregular migrant in Malta but has been allowed to work and pay taxes legally by signing a yellow book at the Police depot in Floriana once every six months.
Signing the yellow book is a common reality for many migrants in Malta and while it does allow them to work legally, it does not guarantee them certain rights and security over their future.
Abdel built a life over the years, finding a job and a family to call his own. He was happy and content but that all changed on Thursday 27th January.
That day, Abdel went to the depot to sign the book with his Maltese partner. However, what he thought would be a routine visit turned into a horrific ordeal after officers at the Immigration Department demanded he signs a form approving his deportation.
He refused, growing more and more concerned about his wellbeing and whether he would ever see his family again. The officers immediately whisked him off to the Ħal Safi closed detention centre.
His Maltese partner, who he married in a religious ceremony at Malta’s mosque five years ago, waited outside the depot for three hours, completely left in the dark over what happened. Abdel eventually called her to tell her that he had been detained at the barracks and was facing imminent deportation.
Abdel had just three days to appeal his fate. And confusion surrounding the entire affair led to Abdel and his Maltese partner missing the deadline. Now, they’ve turned to Aditus Foundation to help find a solution to their seemingly endless nightmare.
She hasn’t seen him since he was detained, sharing the occasional phone call as she continues to worry about their future. Abdel and his Maltese partner have been together for eight years and the thought of him leaving has shaken her to her core.
“He looks after me and my children. I don’t what I’m going to do without him,” she said.
Because of Abdel’s immigration status, he was never able to civilly marry his Maltese partner, but the pair still had a religious ceremony in Malta five years ago celebrating their union. Still, it’s not recognised under Maltese law, even though he’s very much part of their family.
Abdel’s future remains uncertain. While police have detained him, he is unlikely to be deported with Malta’s diplomatic relations with Morocco practically negligible. Instead, he will be held against his will inside the detention centre for a maximum of 18 months before being released.
Still, this time, he will not have the safety net of the yellow bock, and will effectively be left to survive without any legal protection, forcing him into the world of labour abuse that is rampant across Malta.
Abdel’s situation is not unique, with many other Moroccans facing a similar fate in the country. They are irregular migrants with no safety net and no way to return to their country or build a home in Malta.
In the meantime, families will continue to be ripped apart.
*Names have been changed to protect anonymity.
Should the man be released?
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