A fragment of the Maltese exodus : child migration to Australia 1953-1965

Abstract

In March 2009, Maltese Prime Minister Gonzi unveiled a memorial to child migration in Grand Harbour. The wording to the monument notes that there were 310 such migrants. It records respect for the achievements of these migrants, joy at their successes and regret at any unintended consequences of child migration. It is evident from letters to the press at the time and from other sources that many in Malta had little knowledge of such migration, and that others did not understand the concept of ‘child migration’. This paper seeks to correct these deficiencies. In doing so it is broken into a number of sections. The next section locates the Maltese experience within the contours of British child migration and to this end provides an historical overview. Section 3 explores the push and pull factors resulting in the commencement of Maltese child migration in 1953. Section 4 provides details of the mechanics of child migration and Section 5 reflects on the child migrant experience. The final section is by way of summary and conclusion