Rechelle – who was anonymised and referred to in previous reporting as Corazon for her initial protection – has lived and worked in Malta for six years. She had her first child, who is now four, here.

Now, she’s had her second.

When she was almost at full term with this second pregnancy, she tried to file for a change of jobs with Identity Malta. Despite having issued her work permit, IM’s third party checks with Jobsplus “revealed” that Rechelle was an “overstayer”. 

This was because her employer had failed to properly register her as an employee with Jobsplus, which resulted in her being issued a deportation notice.

Almost nine months pregnant, Rechelle was given ten days to leave Malta. She appealed this decision, which will allow her to remain in the country, but while her case is unresolved, she can’t work. 

She also has to pay for medical procedures, despite having worked, been taxed, and paid into national insurance for six years.

Ralph, her husband, is in the process of having his position regularised in Malta. He has also lived here for quite some time, but resigned from his job here in March. He was then living and working in the US, until he returned to be with Rechelle as she gave birth.

“They cannot use my payslip, because I was resigned back in March. I went back to the United States, and came back again, because she was going to struggle in her condition, especially with two kids here.”

“Now I’ve applied for work, everything is in process, but still. For the hospital bills they need my latest payslip. I tried to give it to them but they won’t accept it because it was from March.”

“They want something more recent, like June. I wasn’t working here in June, so I can’t provide that.”

Rechelle endured a lot of stress as a result of being issued this deportation notice. 

This manifested physically, when her body started to show signs of labour well before she was due. After being discharged from hospital, she was told she was not allowed to leave.

Now, just a few days after delivering a baby by C-Section, she and her husband are already having to think about how they’re going to pay for their baby’s treatment – as well as organising the logistics of getting their baby’s documents in place so that they can travel to the best possible specialists, if necessary.

“Its okay now we’ve processed Isla’s birth certificate, so we’ve done it already. We’ve registered her so we can get her a passport, just in case she needs to get the operation in London,” an understandably emotional Rechelle told Lovin Malta. 

“We’ve done it in advance.”

“We’ve been told to tell our consulate what is happening,” said Ralph, before continuing, “if we can’t bring her to London, we have to do it back in our country. We don’t want to do that.”

Anybody who understands – or who can only imagine what these parents are going through – and is in a position wherein they may be able to help, can pledge their contribution here. 

Both Rechelle and Ralph want the same thing. It is the very same thing that any parent in their position would want, to assure the best chance their child growing up healthy, and happy.

“We would prefer it the best way, with the best specialists,” said Ralph.

Tag someone who should know about Rechelle, Ralph and Isla’s story