News

Maltese Refugee Project Continues Amidst Tension

Wednesday July 10 2013

The Church of Scotland minister in Malta says that his church’s mission project to refugees will continue in the midst of local tensions about immigration.

The Rev Doug McRoberts was speaking after the island’s new Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, had threatened to put newly-arrived Somali refugees on a plane back to Libya. The plan, which was blocked yesterday by the European Court of Human Rights, has provoked strong reactions for and against.

Mr McRoberts’ church, St Andrew’s Scots Church in Valletta, runs the Out of Africa… Into Malta project which supports refugees through practical help, counselling and advice. It has recently launched Malta Microfinance, to help refugees through microfinance loans.

Mr McRoberts said: “Just at a time when so many of our prayers have been answered, with new opportunities to develop our mission and remake broken lives, the threat of this action and both the public support for it and the opposition to it have increased tensions in Malta. This makes our ministry to migrants even more sensitive than it was already – but also more vital.

“While we are well aware of political realities here, and of increasing pressures on all who seek to support African refugees, our focus is clearly on those who most need our help.

“We greatly appreciate the prayers – and the voices – of others who are moved to stand up for those who are caught in the middle of all this, whether in mission, or politics, or human rights courts.

“We remember always that the infant Jesus was himself a refugee, whose parents sought refuge by going into North Africa with him when the politics of the day threatened his young life. We are simply seeking to do what Mary and Joseph did.”

Out of Africa…Into Malta was the Presbytery of Europe’s Mission Project in 2011, and is one of the six projects supported by the Church of Scotland Guild in its current three-year programme.

There is more about the charity on the Guild section of the Church of Scotland website, and at www.saintandrewsmalta.com