Malta issued 10,569 visas to Libyan travellers last year

The Maltese Central Visa Unit last year issued travel visas to 10,569 Libyan travellers, Foreign Minister Tonio Borg has revealed.

The number of visas issued to Libyan applicants was second only to Russians, with Malta having issued 14,787 visas to travellers from that country

In all, Malta last year issued 34,776 visas.

The visas granted to Libyan travellers included 7,210 Schengen short-stay visas, while almost all the rest were national long stay visas.

The information was given as Maltese travellers holding Libyan-issued visas continue to be banned entry to Libya after the North African country decided to stop all visas issued to Schengen area countries, including Malta. The action was taken in retaliation to a Swiss decision to put 180 senior Libyan officials on the Schengen blacklist.