Disaster response and preparedness in Malta : a first responder’s autoethnographic reflections on the ‘migration crisis’ and COVID-19

Abstract

Disasters are caused when an event of great magnitude causes significant societal disruption, to which the local emergency services are not able to respond to effectively and must therefore make a plea for external assistance. The field of disaster response preparedness focuses on the preparations necessary for local first responders and decisionmakers to effectively mitigate and minimise any damages and societal harm caused by a disaster, be it of natural causes or manmade, all while ensuring the wellbeing of society both during and in the aftermath of such events. Over the past years, Malta has faced two major crises which can, to some extent, be considered as disasters, namely, the ‘migration crisis’ in the Mediterranean Sea and the COVID-19 pandemic. Both of these exigencies have caused substantial societal disruptions while also leading to the death of many. Additionally, while in both cases, Malta did not plea for external reinforcements in the typical sense of additional first responders, Malta did in fact appeal for other countries to assume some of the ‘burden’ in the case of migration and to send aid in the form of multilateral funding for projects to deal with these issues. From the age of sixteen, I have had the honour of serving as a first responder specialising on several fields ranging from Medical Assistance to Firefighting, BuildingCollapse Rescue, and Maritime Search and Rescue while working and volunteering with numerous local and international organisations and private companies. This decade-long range of experiences has provided me with a significant insight into Malta’s disaster response and preparedness capabilities from the perspective of a First Responder. Moreover, I have had the privilege to serve as both a Seafarer and Rescue Swimmer aboard a Search and Rescue ship operating in the Central Mediterranean Sea and as the Operations Manager for the Ħal Far Reception Centre COVID-19 Isolation Unit during the pandemic. These experiences allowed me to participate in the response of the two largest tragedies Malta has faced since the turn of the century. Although I am unable to answer whether or not Malta is prepared to respond to a disaster, in this dissertation I provide various autoethnographic reflections of my experiences layered with a literature review along with the presentation of material from journalistic articles and official statements to develop a coherent narrative for the reader. This is done with the aim of highlighting some of the nuances of Malta’s disaster preparedness and response mechanisms while focusing on the issue of migration. I have chosen to tackle disaster response and preparedness from a migration perspective since my experience in Maritime Search and Rescue, and the COVID-19 pandemic both addressed the wellbeing of migrants. In doing so, throughout this dissertation I highlight both positive and negative aspects in relation to Malta’s disaster preparedness and response capabilities.