220 illegal immigrants repatriated

A total of 220 illegal immigrants were repatriated last week, bringing the number of illegal immigrants in Malta down to about 600, according to police sources.

The number of illegal immigrants detained in Malta stood at over 800 at one point last month - the highest number at any one time.

The number of illegal immigrants rocketed in a short time after 378 landed in Malta and Gozo on three separate occasions during the last week of September.

Sixty-five landed in Gozo on September 22, 78 in Marsascala on September 24 and 235 at Marsaxlokk on September 27 in an overloaded, battered 50-foot fishing boat.

A spokesman for the Refugee Commissioner said that although most of the 235 illegal immigrants who arrived on September 27 had declared they intended to apply for refugee status, only six had so far submitted the preliminary questionnaire to be completed by those seeking to apply for refugee status.

These had all been interviewed and their application was being processed.

"The norm is for detainees to apply within 15 days," the spokesman said.

The illegal immigrants are being held at AFM barracks at Safi , the compound for illegal immigrants at Hal-Far and police headquarters in Floriana.

The government last week announced a Libyan delegation is due in Malta shortly to discuss a readmission agreement to stem the flow of illegal immigrants.

Malta has such an agreement with Italy. It enables the Maltese authorities to repatriate illegal immigrants once it is established that their trip originated from there.

Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said last week that such an agreement would not be easy to conclude, but he hoped it would eventually apply to all North African countries.

Immigration authorities are trying to obtain the necessary documentation to repatriate the illegal immigrants being detained in Malta, against whom a removal order has been issued.