2. jrsmalta.org
LOCAL
80.5% of all asylum seekers were
granted international protection
in Malta in 2015. A further 5.1%
were granted complementary
forms of protection. The top three
nationalities granted international
protection were Libyans (1004),
Syrians (281) and Somalis (56).
Despite the fact that only 104
asylum seekers arrived by boat in
2015, Malta received 1693 asylum
applications during that same year.
The top three nationalities that
sought asylum were Libyans (890),
Syrians (390) and Eritreans (71).
“A lasting solution, the possibility to begin a new life, is the only dignified solution
for the refugees themselves.” – Poul Hartling, former Commissioner of UNHCR
In 2015, there were 60 million forcibly displaced people of whom
more than 20 million persons were refugees and asylum seekers. If
this were the population of a country, it would be the 24th largest in
the world.
Half of the 60 million displaced
are children. How many of these
children are in primary school?
One in two. Only one in four is in
secondary school and only 1% of
the 60 million is in university.
In 2014, 42,500 new people were
displaced every single day. That’s
a new person forced to flee every
other second. Developing coun-
tries host over 86% of the world’s
refugees, compared to 70% ten
years ago.
In Syria, half the country’s
pre-war population — more
than 11 million people — have
been killed or forced to flee
their homes.
UNHCR estimates that less than
30% of the 19,000 who arrived
by boat from Libya since 2002
remain in Malta.
The needs of refugees are multi-faceted
Over the years, we have learnt that the fulfillmentof basic needs, including safety from persecution and violence,
is only the first step in journeys of hope undertaken by refugees. We have learnt that protection is not just a piece
of paper. In order to counter hopelessness and the sense of missing perspective which many of them face, refu-
gees – like all of us - also need to feel they have a future whilst making peace with the wounds of their past.
JRS Malta aims to create communities that encourage refugees to live life to the full. Refugees deserve to have
the support they need so that they can live in dignity and self-sufficiency, to develop their potential, to be able to
look after their families, and to live in a community where they truly belong and not one in which they are consid-
ered to be permanent guests.
INTERNATIONAL
jrsmalta.orgjrsmalta.org
More than 30 years ago, Fr. Pedro Arrupe SJ, then the renowned head of the Jesuit order, was
deeply shocked by the harrowing plight of the Vietnamese boat people and determined to see what
the Jesuits could do to help.
In 1980, Fr. Arrupe founded the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), which has since grown into an inter-
national organisation that serves 949,000 people with 1,800 staff, Jesuits, religious and lay people
from different faiths, serving refugees in camps, urban areas, war zones and detention centres in 45
countries
The mission of JRS is to accompany, serve and advocate for the rights of refugees and other
forcibly displaced persons, who rank among the world’s poorest and most vulnerable. We seek to
serve refugees as their companions, this is key to everything we do. As an international Catholic
organisation and a work of the Jesuits, we are inspired by the compassion of Jesus, who made it
his mission to reach the most marginalised people of his time.
Our services promote hope by enabling refugees to continue their education and by equipping them
with life-changing skills. Advocacy is crucially important, based on our deep belief in the intrinsic
dignity of each and every person. We work so that refugees may find protection, humane living
conditions and durable solutions for their future.
JRS began its work in Malta in 1993, in response to the arrival of several hundred asylum seekers
who had arrived in Malta mainly from Iraq and the former Yugoslavia.
Over the years, JRS Malta expanded its services to include legal advice and provision of information
to asylum seekers in detention, advocacy, public awareness-raising, social work services,
limited healthcare and psychological support, and spiritual care.
3. jrsmalta.org
At JRS Malta
we respond to these needs with:
Compassion
Solidarity Hope
Participation Dignity
Justice
Compassion impels us to work to
alleviate the suffering of our fellow
human beings. JRS sees its service
as a call to love and to treat others
with equity and respect as we
ourselves wish to be treated.
JRS is a work of the Society of
Jesus, carrying out the Society’s
mission of faith and justice through
humble and respectful service in
solidarity with refugees from diverse
cultures, nationalities and religions.
JRS aims to give hope to refugees
and other forcibly displaced
persons by providing both practical
services and spiritual guidance.
JRS upholds the principle of
subsidiarity, endeavouring to be
accountable for its work and to be
transparent in its decision-making
process. We work in partnership
with other religious congregations,
humanitarian organisations and
with refugees themselves, thus
encouraging co-responsibility,
discernment and participative
decision-making.
JRS believes in the intrinsic
dignity of every person and the
fundamental common value in
freedom of speech and religion.
We work with refugees and other
displaced persons regardless
of their race, gender, religion or
political view.
JRS is committed to promoting
justice that empowers refugees to
become “people with a voice of
their own”, and to working together
with them to challenge systems
that deny or undermine human
rights.
JRS aspires to encourage hospitality in action. We walk alongside the most vulnerable people – those
who are “at the frontiers of humanity” – and offer them hospitality by giving priority to situations where
the need is greatest.
Hospitality
jrsmalta.org
What we do:
Our Vision is to accompany, serve and advocate for refugees and
forcibly displaced persons in Malta in order to achieve a truly inclusive
community where everyone belongs
Encourage a life of dignity,
freedom and belonging
Embark on a journey of
reconciliation
Advocate for refugee rights
JRS works to improve the life of asylum
seekers by providing a wide range
of professional services. Our team of
lawyers, social workers, psychologists
and nurse offer assistance in the initial
reception centre, detention centres
and open centres as well as in the
community.
Our advocacy comes from our
closeness to refugees and this gives
it international credibility. Often
implemented in partnership with others,
our efforts include training service
providers and organising stakeholders
meetings.
JRS Malta aims at creating space
for encounter and mutual sharing by
collaborating with different religious
groups that share the same values
underlying our work and through our
Outreach Programmes in Schools and
Parishes. In all our work, we strive to
foster a culture of openness, embodied
by hospitality.
JRS encourages self-reliance for the
well-being of both the local society
and refugees themselves. Building on
the skills of refugees and assessing
local market needs, we provide
refugees and asylum seekers with
training courses in education and
employment. This helps refugees to
restore their dignity, integrate locally
and support themselves.
Promote integration and
social inclusion
“What does protection mean for us? Protection means safety… it means shelter.
But protection also means belonging to a community where we can give and take,
where we can belong again.” – An asylum seeker from Somalia
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“Life is a precious gift, but we realize this only when we give it to others.”
Pope Francis
JRS Malta is currently running several projects which require a considerable
amount of resources in order to make them sustainable. Over the two-year period
2016-2017, we are determined to achieve a set of goals which will not only help
refugees but also benefit the wellbeing of local communities. With your support we
will be able to make this happen!
Working with 8-10 Christian
communities and trained
volunteers to create a
“community of hospitality” by
welcoming and supporting
refugees in need, and providing
hospitality - which includes
accommodation, friendship and
support.
We aim to encourage 10
families to follow a care-plan
developed by a social worker in
order to attain self-sufficiency.
In 2015 over 157 individuals in detention received legal assistance from JRS Malta and over 165 migrants
were assisted with job seeking and accessing language courses by our team of social workers and volunteers.
In 2015 JRS Malta had 820 visits to our Drop-In service requesting advice and assistance on different issues.
The JRS School Outreach Programme reached over 1500 students during the first half of the scholastic year
2015-2016, while the Parish Outreach Programme reached 15 Christian groups in 2015. In December 2015,
the Jesuit community in Naxxar welcomed a refugee family from Ethiopia to reside in their premises as part
of the Communities of Hospitality project.
Creating opportunities for Maltese
children to meet refugees and hear
about their journey, whilst fostering
a culture of peace and reconciliation.
JRS Malta plans to reach 3,000
children from primary and secondary
schools during the scholastic year
2016-2017.
We will visit a total number of 25
schools in Malta and Gozo.
Providing professional legal,
social, psychological, healthcare
support and services to asylum
seekers in detention and at our
offices.
We aim to offer in-depth legal
support to 350 refugees/asylum
seekers.
We aim to offer in-depth social
support to 250 refugees/asylum
seekers.
We aim to offer individual
psychological support to 100
refugees/asylum seekers
Communities
of Hospitality
School
Outreach Programme
Ongoing provision of
Professional Services
jrsmalta.org
CONTACT
INFORMATION
Our service is only possible with the sustained help of individuals and
organisations who share our values. By joining us on our mission, you will
give some of the world’s most marginalised people hope for a better future.
There is no other refugee organisation that works in quite the same way
as the Jesuit Refugee Service. We invite you to begin a journey to find out
more about JRS and the people whose lives you can help to improve.
Your support can go a long way…
whether you are an individual, a
business representative or a member
of a community.
Your commitment will make a tangible difference
in the lives of those who have been forced to flee
their homes and help them regain hope. It will
help ensure JRS is able to respond in a timely and
sustainable manner to urgent needs.
If you are interested in supporting us or including
JRS Malta in your Corporate Social Responsibility
Programme, please do get in touch with us for
more information.
5. jrsmalta.org
I thank JRS with all my heart. If you ask me: ‘What did JRS do for you? I tell you that even the
smile of the people at JRS is enough. When we arrived we were alone and lost. Then someone told me
to call JRS. They gave us some help when we didn’t have anyone to help us. Many times, they helped
us with small things, but we needed them to live.
I’m an old man now. But I still hope in a quiet life. And I also hope to help other people. I would be
happy to help others, even in small ways. At the same time I’m very sad for my country. Syria is a beau-
tiful country. Just like Malta! But Syria is now destroyed. Nothing remains.” Dr Mazloum Fayez
“During the revolution in Syria my brother was killed and one of my
sons was shot. We decided to leave Syria and go to Libya. We tried to
start a new life in Libya but Libya is not safe. There is no government, no
police. There is a lot of fighting and everyone does whatever he wants.
You cannot say anything to anyone, because they can beat you and take
everything, especially if you are a foreigner.
I have a son in Sweden. He has been living there for more than ten
years. So we decided to join him there. However, once we arrived in
Sweden, the authorities sent us to Malta because our Schengen Visa
had been issued by the Maltese embassy. When my wife and I arrived
here in Malta, it was very difficult . We were given 430 euros a month and
we were paying 300 euros to rent an apartment. We didn’t have any more money. The last few dollars
I had spent at the airport because our luggage was 15kgs overweight. At first, my sons tried to help
but they don’t even have enough money for their families. They can’t afford to help us. Three of my
sons still live in Libya and they are all afraid. And when you are afraid you can’t work normally. My son
who was shot is recovering from an operation. And my daughter is still trapped in Syria and she can-
not escape.
Jesuit Refugee Service Malta is registered with the Commissioner of Voluntary Organisations (VO/0064)
+356 2144 2751
kyoko@jrsmalta.org
JRS, St Aloysius Sports Complex, 50 Triq ix-Xorrox, Birkirkara
HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c.
116 Archbishop Street, Valletta VLT1444
SWIFT/BIC: MMEBMTMT
IBAN: MT45 MMEB 44163000 000016116055 050
Acc.no.: 016 116 055 050 – Birkirkara Branch
You may donate by cheque addressing to Jesuit Refugee Service Malta,
or via direct bank transfer to:
Bank of Valletta
Republic Street, Valletta VLT1113
SWIFT/BIC: VALLMTMT
IBAN: MT11 VALL 22013000 000040012100 660
Acc.no.:400 121 00 660 – Birkirkara Branch
5% of donation will be used
to cover administration
costs. Please contact our
Programmes & Fundraising
Officer Kyoko Zhang for
more information.
