Meet Stera, Mohammed - Malta’s stateless children

The only thing that sets apart Stera, 9, and her six-year-old brother, Mohammed, from their Maltese friends at the Gżira primary school is the fact that their parents come from Syria. They were born and raised here and speak Maltese better than most, with a natural native accent. Like most boys his age, Mohammed likes football, Stera prefers basketball. They achieve good grades, and seem happy with their schooling and life in general here. You could say, they are ‘normal’ children, if only for the fact that on paper, they don’t really exist. They were born stateless in Malta. In other... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.