Malta Social Workers Association calls on “all politicians and people of good will” to show solidarity with people stranded out at sea
8422 Mins Read
The Malta Social Workers Association has called on “all politicians and people of good will” to show solidarity with people stranded out at sea for two weeks.
While taking note of the government’s stated political responsibility, the Association nevertheless said, “now it is time to save those who are risking their lives”.
It urged the authorities to provide all help and support. “While it is paramount that an urgent solution on this matter is found, the number one priority should be to save people’s lives”.
Earlier Saturday, Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna visited MV Lifeline, a vessel berthed in the Grand Harbour, where he appealed once again for Europe to act without further delay to save our brothers and sisters stranded out at sea for days.
During his meeting with crew members, the Archbishop mentioned the appeals he made together with bishops Mgr Mario Grech and Mgr Joseph Galea-Curmi, for Europe to show compassion and concrete solidarity with the most vulnerable.
The Archbishop said that while he acknowledges that the phenomenon of immigration required solutions on a European level, it was a great injustice that these brothers and sisters became victims of the negotiations between European leaders. “Human life is priceless and negotiations should never be held at the detriment of persons who are in distress” stressed Archbishop Scicluna.
Newsbook reports “in a statement the German civil search and rescue NGO, Mission Lifeline said that the Archbishop will be visiting Lifeline, as the NGO continues to dialogue with various civil society actors on the current situation. 49 people rescued by 2 German NGO vessels remained stranded off the Maltese coast, some of which have been for 14 days.
Mission Lifeline explained that the visit is part of their work to continue collaborating with all levels of civil society in search of a solution.
Earlier the bishops of Malta issued a statement urging for concrete action to be found on the 49 rescued, which was followed by a letter to their European counterparts asking them to urge their leaders to find a solution.
