Claudia Calleja
No info on migrant’s deportation
The police have refused to disclose when an Algerian immigrant, who won a human rights case against Malta last week, will be deported from the island.
When asked, through the formal channels, when Khaled Louled Massoud was to be deported, the police replied: “Please note that this request (for information) has not been approved.” They did not give a reason.
Mr Massoud had arrived in Malta as an illegal immigrant in 2006 and was later imprisoned for helping people enter Malta illegally. After that he spent just over 18 months in detention at Safi but his asylum application was rejected. About two weeks ago he was arrested for deportation.
A week later he was awarded €12,000 in compensation by the European Court of Human Rights which ruled that the Maltese system failed to protect him from an unnecessarily long and arbitrary detention period.
The court found that he had been deprived of his right to liberty and security under a government detention policy that had “no legal force”. The fact that the Immigration Act did not stipulate a minimum time of detention meant that Mr Massoud did not have a legal tool with which to contest his detention.
Asked if the Immigration Act would be revised following the judgment, the government said it would seek the advice of the Attorney General and may be appealing the case.
A Ministry spokesman said he had no comment to make before the ministry studied the judgment in more detail and received the AG’s advice.
The Justice Ministry was asked whether he would be deported before an appeal was filed and before being paid the €12,000 owed to him through the judgment.
A ministry spokesman said: “Malta is under a legal obligation to deport Mr Massoud as soon as arrangements are made to that effect and deportation is possible.
“Saving any further action which the government may consider opportune to take in respect of the judgment in question, in virtue of the same judgment Malta is under an obligation to pay the compensation ordered by the court whether before or after deportation.”
The spokesman said the date of deportation was to be sought from the police immigration section.
Meanwhile, Mr Massoud’s lawyer, Michael Camilleri said he was confident the government would live up to the ECHR judgment. Mr Massoud had granted him a power of attorney to take care of matters when he was sent back to Algeria.
Katrine Camilleri, from the Jesuit Refugee Services in Malta, explained that the fact that Mr Massoud would be deported “should not mean he will not get paid.”
Although being away from Malta made matters more complicated, the execution of the payment depended on several factors, she said. Mr Massoud could appoint someone in Malta to act on his behalf which meant that it then depended on whether he kept in contact with that person.
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Sean Grima
Aug 7th 2010, 15:20
malta must observe the European Convention of Human Rights, and pay if any person's rights are violated whilst in Malta. even Africans have human rights!
anthea doughty
Aug 6th 2010, 16:21
UNBELEIVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I DETEST the EU - I am furious that my country is even in the EU. Not a single man or woman I know wanted to be in the EU - we had no choice. What message does this give? Of course he was held in detention - you should be able to immediately deport all illegal arrivals as far as I am concerned but the fact that you are not allowed to - where are you supposed to put them then? Oh here's the keys to your own flat and free medical care and food money for you each week and all household bills paid?????????????????????????????? Makes me feel like not going to work any more if an illegal can enter our shores and get everything for nothing, why not me when I have worked for nearly 30 years???
S. Zammit
Aug 7th 2010, 08:12
What does the EU have to do with this case??????????????????????????
Joe Bugeja
Aug 6th 2010, 12:53
The government must appeal the judgment and don't pay a single euro cent from our taxes to an arrogant illegal immigrant. If the ECHR feels he is to be compensated for breaching our laws then they should put their hands in their own pockets and compensate him themselves.
T Camilleri
Aug 6th 2010, 12:49
Katrine Camilleri, from the Jesuit Refugee Services in Malta, explained that the fact that Mr Massoud would be deported “should not mean he will not get paid.”
So Katrine pay him out of your own pocket because he came here illegally and part of the illegal immigrants scam.
Louise Vella
Aug 6th 2010, 10:12
Is there some rule in journalism that states that the director, or whoever speaks on behalf of the Jesuit Refugee Service, should be quoted last in an article? I have noticed this happening in many articles in Maltese and foreign newspapers.
Michael Camilleri has good reason to run after the €12,000 because he is Khaled Louled Massoud’s lawyer. But what interest does Katrine Camilleri of JRS have to ensure that the Maltese government (that is, the Maltese taxpayer) pays this some of money?
Louis Gialanze
Aug 6th 2010, 14:08
Same reason why Malta grants the highest rate of refugee status across the EU - more than 55 % versus Greece's 1.3% and Italy's 7.2% of all applications. In a nutshell Louise ,the invasion of Malta is EU engineered whilst our NGOs and other EU lackeys are accomplice to this malpractice.
Louise Vella
Aug 6th 2010, 09:58
Algeria like other African countries has obviously been making it difficult for the Maltese government to deport its nationals. It does not reflect well on a country when it refuses its own nationals. Many of the illegal immigrants are unwanted by their own country of origin, they are unwanted by Malta and they are unwanted also by the other EU countries where they would like to go.
Malta’s first priority is to stop illegal immigrants from coming. This is being achieved thanks to Berlusconi’s push-back policy. The second priority is to send them back to their country of origin.
There are hundreds of Algerians, Nigerians and Ghanians who are illegally in Malta. The Swede Cecilia Malmstrom, EU Commissioner for illegal immigrants, should embark on a dertermined policy to repatriate all illegal immigrants in the EU, including Sweden and Malta.
patrick zammit
Aug 6th 2010, 09:46
So much help is offered to persons convicted of illegalities.
Law abiding citizens hardly get so "lucky".