Maltese press barred from following meeting between German president, NGOs

German President Joachim Gauck in Malta

Maltese journalists were not allowed to follow a meeting between German President Joachim Gauck and human rights NGOs working closely with migrants in Malta, after a German embassy official cited “security reasons”.

The Maltese press were told that only photographers and camerapersons would be allowed in for very few minutes and that reporters would not be allowed in because “of late accreditation”.

However MaltaToday – like all other media houses including The Times, PBS and ONE TV – followed the instructions as received. The Department of Information, acting as the liaison between the Maltese media and the German embassy, was however told that the “applications” had closed.

It transpired that the German press did not face the same problems and they were allowed to attend the meeting – handled by the German embassy – at the Phoenicia Hotel.

The meeting between Gauck and the NGOs comes at a time when the European Union is being asked to step up its game and address the humanitarian crisis. 750 people perished in one night after a boat sank in the Mediterranean, taking with it the lives of men, women and children.

In a “symbolic” gesture, the German President and his wife came to Malta to meet with the migrants and NGOs in a bid to get a clear picture of the situation. Aware of the humanitarian effort Malta carries out to assist Italy in the saving of lives, Gauck said such unity should be attained among all EU countries.