Since 2010, Kopin has been providing services to asylum seekers and refugees in Malta, in all Open Centres as well as in communities. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in early March of 2020 has exacerbated the challenges faced by migrants: many have lost their jobs and therefore do not earn a living, unable to pay for food and accommodation.

 

In response, Kopin, together with Maltese partner organisations, has been providing a range of outreach, educational and emergency assistance services to asylum seekers and refugees, and particularly to unaccompanied minors, youth in transition from childhood to adulthood and young adults.

These services are holistic in nature and comprise:

(1) Outreach and assessment:

  • Visits to asylum seekers and refugees residing in Maltese towns, building trust relations, which enable our staff to conduct in-depth needs and vulnerability assessments and to develop support plans;
  • Liaison with community leaders, from both migrant and host communities, to remain updated concerning the situation in the respective localities where interventions take place.

 

(2) Provision of basic needs’ and integration/inclusion support, which include, among others:

  • Provision of food, clothing, hygiene products, protective products (face masks, hand sanitizer);
  • Provision of information concerning health, social, educational, shelter, job legal services in Malta, pandemic related laws and regulations, cultural guidance;
  • Education assistance, for example, supporting applications for educational courses, provision of hardware for students to be able to access virtual schooling, provision of language classes or referral to other free-of-charge classes. This is complementary to the Educational Support Programme, which we implement in collaboration with JRS Malta;
  • Job seeking support, for example, through CV writing assistance, helping in job market research, coaching for accompanying beneficiaries to job interviews;
  • Referral to, and if needed payment of, physical or mental health services;
  • Referral to substance addiction services;
  • Referral to shelters or open centres, for homeless beneficiaries.

 

We provide many of our outreach and community-based services in collaboration with the Integra Foundation. Furthermore, we collaborate with aditus and the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS Malta), organisations providing legal assistance for persons in detention, open centres and the community, including:

  • Assistance to be released from detention;
  • Providing information about the asylum system;
  • Applying for asylum;
  • Fighting discrimination and exploitation of our beneficiaries.

Other partners include migrant-led organisations, such as the Sudanese Community, Aġenzija Appoġġ, the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers and local councils.

We also advocate with the government and other relevant stakeholders for the rights of migrants, including for Children on the Move.

Speaking with one voice in the fight for social justice, we are active in various networks and campaigns, including the Malta Refugee Council, the Platform Against Homelessness, the UNHCR NGO Roundtable, the All Equal Roundtable, the Anti-Racism Platform and, internationally, with Terre des Hommes, Destination Unknown and the #FreeElHiblu3 Campaign.

Our outreach and assistance programme is financed thanks to the outstanding support provided by the Global Whole Being Fund, the PaperSeed Foundation as well as the generosity of our individual and business donors.