Following a visit to the Safi Detention Centre, AD has called for a review of length and conditions for detention and for increased efforts towards responsibility-sharing in the EU.

Michael Briguglio, AD Chairperson, said, “Malta should give due importance to the humanitarian realities of immigrants, whilst also having a clear integration policy that matches immigrants’ rights with responsibilities, and that grants the right of asylum to those who genuinely need it. A sustainable integration policy needs to be developed in a way which is sensitive to the individual and particular realities of immigrants. In this respect, the European Greens have called for responsibility sharing across the EU, relevant changes in the Dublin Treaty, and for more attention to be given to the situations of small island states. The anti-immigration populists, characterised by egoistic nationalism, oppose the very concept of responsibility sharing.”

“Experts and the media should have full access to detention centres. Length and conditions of detention, which are currently too long, inhumane and unsustainable should be reviewed. A short period of detention is required to ascertain identity, age and for security reasons. But long terms of detention tend to be counterproductive and are useless as these foster bitterness among immigrants and soldiers.”

Carmel Cacopardo, AD spokesperson for Home Affairs and Sustainable Development, said:,”It is in everybody’s interest that during the period of their stay in Malta migrants are given assistance to develop their skills in order that when returning to their homeland or else when resettling elsewhere they will be better equipped to face the difficulties which were the cause of their ordeal. Training offered to migrants, especially to their children, will contribute to their better integration when resettlement can take place.”

Robert Callus, AD Spokesperson for Citizenship and Migration, said, “Long term detention is both inhumane and financially unfeasible. Some immigrants do not qualify for protection, yet cannot be deported in a short period of time due to problems in negotiating with their home countries. In the meantime these are being detained for up to 18 months. A six month maximum is enough for monitoring since cheaper and more humane alternatives exist. These include obligatory signing at Police stations and mandatory health checks. Failure to oblige by these conditions would mean the immigrant would be detained once again, thus he is given responsibility over his own freedom.”

“All immigrants out of detention centres should be granted work permits so that they can work legally. This is a win-win situation for these immigrants and the Maltese taxpayer as well as a blow to the black economy,” he concluded.

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