Ethiopian refugee, 26, commits suicide at Portes des Bombes bridge after being left waiting for papers for 10 years

The young Ethiopian man found dead beneath the Portes des Bombes (“Il-Bombi”) bridge three days ago committed suicide by jumping off, an interview with the news portal Newsbook reveals.

Newsbook interviewed a fellow Ethiopian who does pastoral work among the refugee community, who said that his friend was sunk in depression and had been reduced to despair after being left waiting for official papers for 10 years. He arrived alone in Malta when he was just 16 and killed himself at 26.

The pastor also says in the interview that five Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees committed suicide in Malta last year alone because of the hostility and hopelessness of their situation.

And now a side note: videos about tragic and terrible news stories like this one should not be preceded by any advertising clip at all, let alone an advertisement for catering. Aside from the fact that it’s hardly good branding for the advertiser, it is in the worst possible taste given the subject matter. An advert for Neriku Catering introducing a report on how a 26-year-old man killed himself in despair? I don’t think so. UPDATE/The advertisement has since been removed.

Well done for covering the story and bringing it to public attention, though.

This 26-year-old Ethiopian man committed suicide by jumping off the bridge at Portes des Bombes three days ago after being left waiting for official papers for 10 years.