Not true that Malian migrant was denied medication, minister insists

The home affairs minister and the head of detention services have thrown cold water over reports that a Malian migrant had been denied medical treatment while recently locked up at the Safi detention centre.

Jean-Paul Borg, a volunteer with the humans rights NGO Integra, told MaltaToday in December that one of the nine migrants had suffered from an allergic condition but was denied his daily pills while locked up in detention. His condition eventually degenerated and he was transferred to Mount Carmel after showing suicidal tendencies.

However, when asked by MaltaToday, detention services head Mario Schembri painted a different version of events.

According to him, the detention centre’s doctor had visited the migrant in question and had given him allergy pills, but of a different brand than the one he had been used to taking.

“Although the doctor explained to him that there was no difference between the two medications, the migrant kept refusing to take it and eventually had to be transferred to Mount Carmel,” Schembri said. 

Home affairs minister Carmelo Abela said that the migrant’s condition had improved after he had been given the medication prescribed by the detention centre’s doctor at Mount Carmel.

He also dismissed a separate report by MaltaToday – passed on to the newspaper by the migrants’ lawyer Gianluca Cappitta - that another of the nine migrants had turned suicidal while locked up in detention.

“I cannot rely on media reports, because the media often comes up with false allegations such as the recent report that a Ghanian migrant who committed suicide had left a recorded message. It now turns out that this recording doesn’t exist.”

The nine Malian migrants were released earlier this month after three months in detention, but Abela has insisted that they will be deported once the authorities receive their documentation.

‘Treat detained migrants like human beings’

Abela and Schembri were addressing the press after handing out promotions to eight detention services officers – made possible by virtue of a 2015 sectoral agreement.

In his speech, Abela twice urged the officers to treat detained migrants with respect and dignity.

“Although a detention centre is what it is, you must never lose sight of the fact that you are dealing with human beings, each with their personal histories that are often not so positive,” he said. “You must never lose sight of the human element, and must always treat these people who are passing through difficulties with dignity and respect.” 

The minister added that new features will soon be installed at the Safi detention centre – including several CCTV cameras and a telecommunications system.