UNHCR official's shock at AFM's 'disproportionate' use of force

Malta's detention policy for irregular immigrants was driving normal, intelligent people to insanity, according to a top official of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, who described the Armed Forces' reaction to a protest on Thursday as "disproportionate".

Rome-based Michele Manca di Nissa, head of the UNHCR's legal unit, urged the authorities to embark on an immediate campaign to explain the trauma that irregular migrants were facing if it really wanted to stem or reduce racism in Malta.

Dr di Nissa felt compelled to call a news conference yesterday following last Thursday's clashes at Safi Barracks, which left 26 detainees and two soldiers hospitalised.

He said the AFM attack on the migrants was "deplorable", adding that the incident would be among the main items on the agenda during this week's UNHCR press conference in Geneva.

Dr di Nissa, who by coincidence was in Malta on a regular visit, was barred from entering Safi Barracks on Thursday shortly after the incidents and was later also initially refused access to the injured migrants in hospital.

He spoke of the horror he saw when he finally was allowed to visit those injured in the clashes.

"One of the men had 15 stitches, the other six stitches on his head, one needs an operation to have his face rebuilt, and another had multiple fractures. The intervention was disproportionate," he told reporters.

Dr di Nissa explained the chain of events leading to the scuffles.

He said that as they were escorted outside their quarters, the detainees hid banners inside bins to protest against their lengthy detention, and charged on to the football pitch. They refused to obey orders to return to the quarters and started shouting 'freedom' and 'justice' slogans.

At one point they were told they would be subjected to military force if they persisted with their actions. After the migrants sat on the ground, the soldiers decided to quell the protest and advanced on them, hitting them with truncheons.

It was not possible for the detainees to react violently or throw anything since they were sitting on the ground, Dr di Nissa said.

The army carried out an inspection of the immigrants' belongings after the morning's incidents and no weapons were found, he added.

He said that more clashes followed in the evening and some stones were reportedly thrown after detainees watched the evening news on TV, which featured the morning's incidents.

Dr di Nissa said the fact that asylum seekers were being detained for an unspecified period was having psychological repercussions.

"I've been told by several of those being detained that they have seen people walk into detention centres as normal, intelligent individuals, and then be taken to a mental hospital after months. These people have committed no crime.

"One top army official told me that some of the immigrants are better educated than the soldiers."

Dr di Nissa said that he had interviewed several soldiers who unanimously felt that they should not be responsible for irregular immigrants and that they were not trained to act as guards over such people.

It was high time for the authorities to explain to the people why such individuals felt compelled to flee their country, since this could facilitate the understanding, and avoid xenophobia.

The government, he said, was also wrong in floating the idea that it was using detention as a deterrent. People fleeing danger should be welcomed and not barred from entry, he argued.

Malta was the only European country which had adopted such a strict policy of detention - the fact that the maximum period was 18 months was no reprieve for the many individuals that feel they have done no wrong.

Besides, most of the detainees were being housed in tents, which provided no shelter from the hot or cold weather.

The UNHCR, he said, has kept in constant touch with the Maltese government to try and hammer out an acceptable system to solve the problem of migration. Some sticking points have been sorted out, but others remained.

He augured that the upcoming national conference on migration would harmonise Malta's policies on immigration with the EU's.

The UNHCR realised the geographical and administrative constraints of Malta and this was why the concept of burden sharing was essential in the EU.

"These people are often coming from war-torn countries and they deserve a better reception," he said.

Public opinion on the issue and especially following Thursday's notorious incident remains divided however.

Some readers called The Sunday Times yesterday asking why pictures of soldiers beating up unarmed immigrants had been published.