President: Maltese hospitality should be extended to migrants

The hospitality the Maltese people are renowned for should be extended to asylum seekers, President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said today.

Addressing a seminar entitled ‘Crossing Borders: Counselling and the Challenges of Migration,’ Coleiro Preca urged field specialists to get further involved with migrant communities.

Counsellors and professionals, the President said, are in a privileged position and are in a perfect position to share the migrants’ experiences with the rest of the community.

She added “hopefully we can learn from these experiences as much as migrants can learn from our experiences.”

The President said renowned Maltese hospitality is a “universal value” which the people should extend to who needs protection.

Noting that the external suffering experienced by migrants is often talked about, Coleiro Preca said migrants’ “internal suffering” should not be ignored.

Turning to child migrants, the President said unaccompanied migrants go through immense pain, adding “children remain children wherever they come from and we have a greater responsibility in their regard because not only do we need to ensure a better future for all but they musty also live their childhood.”

 Coleiro Preca also highlighted the need to address mental health issues which arise among asylum seekers who reach our shores.