Vaccinated, ready for quarantine but still separated from families
Brazilian citizens living in Malta are facing distress due to COVID travel restrictions that prevent their family members from traveling to be with them in exceptional circumstances.
A group of Brazilians living on the island, most of them pregnant or mothers of young children, said Times of Malta they sought help from their family members living in Brazil as they have no one else to rely on locally for childcare or respite.
However, with travelers from Brazil requiring authorization from health authorities before being allowed to enter Malta, many had their claims denied despite explaining their unique circumstances.
Maria Moral, who works as an accountant with a local company, is eight months pregnant and caring for her one-year-old son, Gustavo. As her pregnancy was considered high risk and she anticipated the possibility of having to stop working to recover after the birth, she was hoping that her mother and sister would be able to join her in Malta to help her with the care of the children while her partner continues to work to support the family.
I was told that the death of a brother did not qualify as an ‘exceptional circumstance’ in their application process
After her family member’s requests to travel to Malta were denied, Moral said she was “asking” the authorities to reconsider what is becoming an increasingly “desperate” situation for her.
“I will have a caesarean section because of my age and, because Gustavo was also given a caesarean section, I was told that going through a normal job would be too risky,” she said.
“The recovery period is seven weeks, during which I cannot drive, lift heavy loads or even keep my eldest son for a while. My partner does not drive and works 12-hour shifts.
“We have no family here. My eldest son will still be attending childcare and we need to coordinate how we collect it. There are things my sister might be helping us with but, as things stand, I will have to take care of two children alone. ”
She is also saddened by the fact that her 75-year-old mother is being deprived of spending time with her grandchildren, despite being vaccinated and ready to go through quarantine. “It’s not fair. They are deciding our future as a family. It is unacceptable. Nobody wants special treatment, we just want our family here and quarantine at home, that’s all. “
A mother was left alone after the baby was born with a cracked lip
Sue *, a 29-year-old Brazilian citizen who has been working in the IT industry in Malta for three years, said that her life and that of her husband were turned upside down when their second child was born cracked lip in September, after a
complicated pregnancy. “In November, I was recovering from COVID-19 while I was pregnant when we started trying to organize things for relatives to fly over to help,” she said.
“Despite repeated requests explaining our situation and explaining that our family members were vaccinated and willing to make a quarantine at home, we were denied.”
“Then, when I was 36 weeks pregnant, I was hospitalized with high blood pressure and my doctors decided at that time and it is best to give early both in the interest of my safety and that of the patient. baby, ”she continues.
“I was in the hospital alone for 10 days because the man had to work and take care of our eldest daughter. Some friends came in to help us but, unfortunately, there is a limit to what they can do. It was an awesome and very stressful time for us. ”
“Then it turned out that our daughter was born with a cracked lip. It was very difficult for us to accept and understand the concerns we had about her life and her treatment. I was already physically and emotionally exhausted. Getting someone from our family here would help a lot. At no point did the authorities take into account the emotional burden that this decision had on our family. “
With her baby needing surgery next month, the family is considering not having the procedure in Malta due to the minimal help that will be available for her recovery.
Times of Malta is aware of at least two other pregnant women, who are also mothers of children under the age of five, whose requests to allow their relatives to travel to Malta to assist them have been rejected.
A grieving sister who cannot crush a grieving mother
Rosie *, who has lived in Malta since 2017 and works in financial services, was unable to visit or comfort her relatives after a tragedy struck the family. “My brother died in April after being infected with the Delta variant. He tested positive and died 22 days later, “she said.
“At that time, travel to Brazil was completely banned and I was not vaccinated, so there was no way to go. So we asked for my parents to be able to spend 90 days in Malta. At this point, my mother was under psychiatric care and totally could not face the sadness of this tragedy alone. The only answer we got was that tours are not allowed and our request was denied. “
Rosie also tried to get a temporary residence visa to her mother and was willing to comply with all requirements but was also removed. “She told me that her brother’s death did not qualify as an ‘exceptional circumstance’ in their application process,” she said.
Because of her work commitments, Rosie said she can’t spend a long time away from her job because of the nature of her job. She says she was told she would not be allowed to quarantine in her own home and work while quarantining at a selected hotel would not be an option. “Not being able to do my job during quarantine will affect my salary. In the meantime, my parents are suffering in Brazil and I have no comfort or help to offer them. ”
* Names have been changed to maintain anonymity.
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