Substandard living : the case of irregular migrants in Malta

Abstract

In recent years, migration crises all over the Mediterranean have unsurprisingly left an impact on the open centres in Malta. To many, migrants are unwelcome, and often when such people require refuge in Malta, a lack of proper investment occurs in the provision of adequate shelter. The scope of this dissertation is to assess whether the open centres found locally are substandard or not. This was carried out through interviews with NGOs working with the migrants, such as the Migrant Commission, as well as through the assessment of the architectural drawings of the open centres made publicly available through the planning applications. The critical results found within the study showed how an improvement over the years was made, and although the migrants do not have the most luxurious of living conditions, the current infrastructure and general conditions suffice. In the recommendations, however, more optimal solutions with practical outcomes for a better standard of living have been investigated. Although today, in 2023, the number of migrants has decreased, mitigation measures can be taken in order to prepare for any humanitarian crisis that may occur around the Mediterranean Sea.