Press Releases

Church offers support for stranded migrants

The Church in Malta through the Migrants Commission, Justice and Peace Commission and JRS, strongly urge the national authorities to take immediate action and ensure that the asylum seekers currently stranded at sea are rescued and disembarked at a safe port.

Over 220 children, women and men rescued by the Sea Eye a week ago in Malta’s search and rescue area are still stranded at sea, in worsening weather conditions, after Malta refused to provide them with a port of safety… Read more »

22 entities present position paper on the recreational use of cannabis to members of parliament

Twenty‑two entities presented a position paper on the recreational cannabis bill to members of parliament, expressing serious concern about the short and long term effects on society of the proposed legislation and calling for a serious, mature and researched debate on the subject. The proposed bill will be presented today for debate in Parliament.

All entities, many of which work with children and young people, strongly believe that as currently presented, the bill will have a negative effect in normalising drug use while failing to protect both society and drug users… Read more »

Youth involvement greater at the community level than in politics

A survey showed that youth have a greater probability of involving themselves at the community level than in politics. Their interest in politics decreases as they grow older. The survey also showed that female youth look at community engagement in a more positive light and participate more than male youth in community initiatives and activities.

This research study, conducted among 498 youth aged between 16 and 25 years, is the first phase of a project being implemented by Discern – the institute for research on the signs of the times, the Malta Catholic Youth Network (MCYN) and the Justice and Peace Commission, to understand better the attitudes of young people in society… Read more »

Budget 2022: Beyond Numbers

The Justice and Peace Commission welcomes the 2022 Budget, recognising the challenging times our country and the world have faced and will continue to face in the near future. The Commission is here offering its view in the light of the “Beyond GDP” initiative, launched in 2020, which promotes the need for our country to reorient our economic model towards a more holistic and sustainable vision… Read more »

16 entities urge politicians to truly consider the common good

16-il entità impenjati fil-ħidma soċjali qed jesprimu t-tħassib tagħhom dwar il-proposti għall-abozz ta’ liġi dwar l-użu hekk imsejjaħ responsabbli tal-kannabis. L-entitajiet jinsabu fi qbil mal-pożizzjoni ta’ Caritas Malta u Fondazzjoni OASI li nhar il-Ħamis, 7 ta’ Ottubru 2021, reġgħu tennew li l-liġi proposta se tkun aktar ta’ ħsara milli ta’ ġid għas-soċjetà Maltija.

Dawn l-entitajiet, li wħud minnhom jaħdmu direttament mat-tfal u ż-żgħażagħ vulnerabbli, jinsabu mħassba speċjalment dwar il-messaġġ li jkun qed jgħaddi lit-tfal u ż-żgħażagħ dwar l-użu u l-kultura tal-kannabis… Read more »

Ongoing uncertainty at the prison

We the undersigned entities unequivocally condemn the ongoing uncertainty at the prison, aka Correctional Services Agency.

As more inmates and their families come forward to speak out, we commend them for their courage and openness.

As entities committed to social wellbeing, we recognise our responsibility to be advocates for justice and human dignity.

The number of deaths registered at this facility in these last years has tragically climbed to 13 individuals, including the recent deaths by suicide of a 30-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman… Read more »

‘Dying To Live – Stories From Refugees On The Road To Freedom’

“No one wants to leave home, but life forces you.” These were the poignant words by one of the refugees whose experience features in the book ‘Dying to Live’ by Danielle Vella, journalist and director of the International Reconciliation Program for the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS). The book was launched during an event hosted by Archbishop Charles Scicluna at the Curia in Floriana, during which the author herself as well Daniel Jude Okoeguale, an asylum seeker residing in Malta, were interviewed… Read more »

Authorities asked to drop terrorism charges against the El Hiblu teenagers

The Migrants Commission, JRS Malta and the Justice and Peace Commission urge the authorities to drop the charges brought against three youths who are being prosecuted for terrorism.

Then aged 15, 16, and 19, the three youths were part of a group of over 100 men, women and children who were rescued by cargo ship El Hiblu 1 on 26 March 2019. The rescue was coordinated by an EU naval operation that ordered the ship to take the rescued persons back to Libya… Read more »

Peace is possible. Peace is the only way.

The peaceful elections of November 2020 in Myanmar were widely acknowledged as free and fair and they gave the new government a mandate and obligation to pursue the inclusive economic and social goals for which it was elected.

However, one month ago today, on 1 February, Myanmar’s military seized power, after detaining its democratically elected leaders from the governing National League for Democracy (NLD) party… Read more »

Responsibility for the whole supply chain

Brussels, 10 February 2021

The International Family of Catholic Social Justice Organizations (CIDSE), Pax Christi International and Justice & Peace Europe, with the support of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), welcome the initiative of the European Commission to prepare new EU legislation on supply chains.

The proposed legislation would legally require companies to protect internationally recognised human rights and the environment in the development, production and distribution of commodities… Read more »