Open centers for irregular migrants in Malta : a case of substandard habitable shelters

Abstract

An increase in irregular migration crossing from North Africa to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea has had an impact on Malta. Open centers can handle the influx, but due to the strongly negative rhetoric around immigration in the Maltese public sphere, investment in shelters for such migrants is meager. The research question this article attempts to address is whether these centers are substandard. The methodology employed includes consulting architectural drawings and interviews with professionals and other members of non-governmental organizations working with migrants. The findings establish that the basic infrastructure and general living conditions of such centers are indeed substandard, but with minimal interventions, they can be rendered livable. The article concludes with a set of recommendations that will improve their overall design. Although the number of migrants has dropped considerably in recent times, the country should be prepared for any humanitarian crisis, be it terrestrial or occurring at sea.