Eritrean pleads to have three-year-old son stuck in Libya brought to Malta

Man makes appeal to Maltese government to have his son brought to Malta after wife loses life in bus accident during voyage from Sudan to Libya  

File photo
File photo

An Eritrean man who lives in Malta under international protection, is appealing to the authorities to have his three-year-old son brought over to Malta for humanitarian reasons.

His wife was killed two weeks ago in a traffic accident involving a bus during a trip between Sudan to Libya. His son was left in Libya

The Eritrean man, who is not identified, has been in Malta since November 2012.

“His wife died two weeks ago while she was crossing over from Sudan into Libya with other Eritreans,” Charles Buttigieg, a former Commissioner for Refugees, said on behalf of the Church’s emigrants commission. “The bus she was riding in was involved in an accident and she lost her life. His son and three other children lost their parents and are now in the care of a family friend.”

The Eritrean father is appealing for help since he is not a refugee, but enjoys subsidiary protection: refugees enjoy the right to family reunification under national and European legislation.

“He hopes that the Maltese state will allow him to have his son brought to Malta. The Emigrants Commission is supporting this appeal, and we remain in contact with UNHCR to ensure the safety of his child while in Libya,” Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg added that a benefactor has been found to pay the child’s travelling expenses to Malta, and to assist the other three children who were orphaned in the same incident.