Abstract

Situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, the island of Malta is often considered to be a "zone d'attente", a sort of limbo where migrants' process of border crossing to Europe is suspended for an undefined length of time. The aim of this article is to describe the system of reception and detention of migrants in Malta, as well as to discuss the specific elements making the Maltese case "special" in the Mediterranean area. The article utilizes data collected during ethnographic research carried out on the island between November 2012 and March 2013, consisting of a combination of participant observation in the Open Centres of al Far (Tent Village and al-Far Reception Centre for single women), as well as twenty in-depth interviews with African migrants.