The Route to Europe-African Migrant Experience in the Maltese Context

On the southern side of the Mediterranean thousands of young people are dreaming the same dream - they want to cross the sea, leave Africa behind and reach Europe, the symbol for welfare and fortune. As legal possibilities to live the European Dream continuously diminish, the numbers of those affronting restrictions increase. The past few years have witnessed a considerable increase in irregular migration flows, mainly originating from Sub-Saharan Africa towards Europe. Malta, as a result of its geographic position at the centre of the Mediterranean, is experiencing a steady influx of asylum seekers arriving on its shores. Social and economic imbalances, war, persecution, human rights abuses and poverty are just some of the dynamics that lead to the forced migration of individuals, and at times, entire communities. This ethnographic study emphasizes the individuals point of view on everyday life in Maltese refugee institutions. Further it attempts to highlight socio-economic processes in the context of migration reality. The research is based on a fieldwork carried out in 2008. All participants were followed by the researcher over the period of 5 months.