After risking their lives crossing the Mediterranean, thousands of African immigrants are trapped in Malta halfway between the African continent and the European dream. They are stuck in a frustrating limbo without opportunities to work or to travel further in search of security and a future.
“Militant group Al-Shabaab told me that I could either work for them or die,” says journalist Ahmed Nuur Ibrahim, who arrived by boat from Libya 6 months ago.Like most of the immigrants he arrived by accident to the small island, while attempting to sail to mainland Europe. Now he hopes that he can one day be reunited with his wife and two children.
Mohammed, 51, has been in Malta for eight years without official papers, but he has managed to get a job working in construction and a small apartment on his own. He says, that he can’t return to his home country of Niger, where his entire family was killed.
Many immigrants from West African countries experience, that the Maltese authorities does not recognize them as a refugees, as there are not enough problems in their home countries. Malta does not have the resources to return them, so they end up living as second-class citizens without papers or rights.
"Malta has not given me anything, and I can not move elsewhere. I feel trapped," says Mohammed, who dreams about being able to travel, so he can go to Norway and start a new life.
The pressure from the large number of immigrants is huge, and since Malta’s accession to the EU in 2004, the country has received approximately 17,000 immigrants, which is proportionally equivalent to 2,5 million people arriving at the coasts of Great Britain in the same period.
Malta is crying for help, but so far the European Union has not done much to help them solve a problem, that is only growing bigger and bigger. In 2013, 700 people died on their way to either Malta or Italy. The number of dead rose more than four times in 2014 to 3,224.
Selected 2013 images of the hope and heartbreak that Syrian children embody.
Heartbreak and Hope: a collection of sample images of children living the Arab Spring. Full photo essays available. For an example, see: http://transterramedia.com/collections/635
"What we are doing in Viome is not only about this factory. We want to spread this way of production all over Greece and Europe, without bosses and injustice" said a Viome's worker.
Mook, 17, never fathomed any other way of life, an existence outside the rice fields and subsistence farming. Having lost her mother at the age of 9, she moved to Surin, one of the poorest provinces in Thailand, to live with her father's family. From then on, she was made to work in the fields, clean the house and look after her younger cousins. At 12, a friend of the family noticed her strong build and suggested she earn her way by weightlifting - which is just what she did. Before long, she had secured a scholarship from the National Youth Team in Bangkok and began a new life. Now she receives a small salary and has a safe place to stay while she pursues her high school studies. Many children and young people from poor families in Thailand are sent to this kind of program where they get a chance to study and earn a little discretionary income. Most of them choose traditional boxing, Muay Thai, but as several female Thai athletes have begun winning Olympic weightlifting medals, the sport has become more popular.
Ahmed Umair is an Islamabad resident and a PTI supporter. He answered questions regarding security threats to political parties during election campaign in Pakistan.
Part 3
"I think Imran Khan is popular enough in all departments so I think there won’t be any attacks on his rallies.
"He is equally and uniformly popular in people from all walks of life and all areas of Pakistan."
"Yes I think Imran Khan has already increased the voter turnout and by the time elections are in progress, he will further increase it."
"Not two years, he will make a difference in two days, it’s only two days before elections. If PTI wins, I’m very hopeful that we’ll see a very different Pakistan."
Mook getting ready for training at the Thai-Japanese Stadium. She has to use gym chalk to grab the weightlifting bars properly.
Mook getting ready for training at the Thai-Japanese Stadium. She trains at least five days per week.
Siptiporng Minchaleung (a.k.a. San), 65 years old, Mook's coach, with some male weightlifters at the Thai-Japanese Stadium. He trains a total of 9 weightlifters (both males and females).
Mook getting ready for training at the Thai-Japanese Stadium. She trains at least five days per week.
Mook trains at the Thai-Japanese Stadium. She trains at least five days per week. She is able to lift 85 Kg (clean and jerk competition) and 67 Kg (snatch competition).
Mukda Rueandsuksud, 17 years old, also known as Mook, getting ready for training at the Thai-Japanese Stadium. She trains at least five days per week.
Siwanan Yodyang, 15 years old, (a.k.a Joy) and Siriporn Samrandee, 20 years old, (a.k.a. Jane) are Mook's colleagues and best friends. They all train at the Thai-Japanese Stadium.
Siptiporng Minchaleung (a.k.a. San), 65 years old, Mook's coach at the Thai-Japanese Stadium. He trains a total of 9 weightlifters (both males and females).
Mak Intan shows the spot where one of the dogs bit while she was tending to them.
For the past 20 years Pak Mie and his wife Mak Intan, have been tending to the needs of stray animals suffering from diseases such as mange or cataracts.
The couple established the Pak Mie shelter on a vacant area near a river in Tanjung Bendshara. Although Pak Mie and Mak Intan have put in a lot of their own money and time into caring for these stray animals they have drawn the attention of malicious gossip.
They have been accused as running the center as a cover to hold donation money and accused of mistreating the animals. Pak Mie and Mak Intan strongly deny all these allegations. The center was only recently running on public donations. Prior to this the family ran the center with their own money.
The married couple volunteers at the shelter and its supporters are not only giving aid to these animals but are attempting to overturn Malaysians perception that animals, such as dogs, should be disregarded. Much of this public view stems from some of the Muslim population of Malaysia being taught that touching or having a dog is forbidden.
Contrary to the couple's efforts,the shelter is currently under investigation from the local authorities and they may have to relocate under the pressure of landowners.
-One of the stray dogs who was saved by Pak Mie from the streets plays with his daughter.
For the past 20 years Pak Mie and his wife Mak Intan have been tending to the needs of stray animals suffering from diseases such as mange or cataracts.
The couple established the Pak Mie shelter on a vacant area near a river in Tanjung Bendshara. Although Pak Mie and Mak Intan have put in a lot of their own money and time into caring for these stray animals they have drawn the attention of malicious gossip.
They have been accused as running the center as a cover to hold donation money and accused of mistreating the animals. Pak Mie and Mak Intan strongly deny all these allegations. The center was only recently running on public donations. Prior to this the family ran the center with their own money.
The married couple volunteers at the shelter and its supporters are not only giving aid to these animals but are attempting to overturn Malaysians perception that animals, such as dogs, should be disregarded. Much of this public view stems from some of the Muslim population of Malaysia being taught that touching or having a dog is forbidden.
Contrary to the couple's efforts,the shelter is currently under investigation from the local authorities and they may have to relocate under the pressure of landowners.
Mook, 17, never imagined she could have a different life, away from ricefields and farming. Having lost her mother at the age of 9, she moved to Surin, one of the poorest provinces in Thailand, to live with her father’s family. She was then obliged to work in the fields, clean the house and look after her younger cousins. At 12, a friend of the family saw her strong body and suggested her to earn her life with weightlifting. She got a scholarship for the National Youth Team in Bangkok and started a new life. Now she gets a small salary and has a safe place to stay while she pursues her studies in high school.
Many children and youth from poor families in Thailand are sent to this kind of programmes to get a chance to study and earn some money. Most of them choose the traditional boxing, Muay Thai, but weightlifting is becoming more popular as some Thai female athletes have recently won some Olympic medals.
She asks the government to find her husband saying, "Even if he's dead, give him to me, I want to bury him with my own hands."
Kelebe Adamu (C) is touching a picture of Jesus during her daily appearance at the main local church in the Northern slum of Addis Ababa July 15 2007 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The lepers who go to this church will always touch the walls, and the religious pictures to bring luck and good fortune to them.
A leper leans on one of the walls of the main Christian church of the lepers Northern slum of Addis Ababa July 15 2007 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In desperation she drops her head in her hands. Life in the slum in consistantly hard with very little help from the outside, execpt for their belief in God.