It was “not entirely surprising” that migrants detained at the Safi centre reacted in the violent way they did on Tuesday, the UN refugee agency said, still denouncing the incidents.

“Frustration is increasing as several hundred asylum seekers are held behind bars in poor conditions,” a UNHCR spokesman said yesterday, pointing out that the vast majority of those in detention did not become aggressive or violent.

The government’s priority should be to address the conditions at the centre and ensure more acceptable standards, the UNHCR said. Much could be done to improve the situation even without major investments.

But, in the long run, the government should review the existing asylum and migration policies, including the detention system, in light of its decade-long experience dealing with migration.

“In principle, the UNHCR is against the detention of asylum seekers. We do not consider it appropriate for any country to detain all asylum seekers who arrive without documents. Governments do have legitimate reasons to undertake screening and control of people who enter the country but the UNHCR considers that there are alternative ways to address these objectives.”

Both the Nationalist and Labour parties disagree with this stance.

Due to the country’s limited resources and size, a detention policy was “absolutely necessary”, the PN insisted.

“Conditions in detention centres have improved significantly but, of course, more can be done to alleviate the hardships migrants have to face,” a PN spokesman said.

Condemning the violence unreservedly, the spokesman added that violent incidents by migrants cast “an unjust shadow on the absolute majority of migrants in Malta who do not seek violent ways and means to express themselves”.

Labour said it was consistently in favour of the present detention policy and did not think the 18-month period should be reduced.

Condemning the riots, the PL said these were a reminder that “European solidarity is a joke”.

To the government, solidarity meant welcoming people crossing the Mediterranean and keeping them in “appalling conditions”, a party spokesman said. He then pointed to Labour’s “concrete plan” on illegal immigration “which has long identified these issues”.

Alternattiva Demokratika condemned the violence too, adding that focusing only on punishment would not improve the situation. It called for an integration policy and a review of the “inhumane and unsustainable” lengths and conditions of detention. “Six months detention for people who are escaping from war, hardship and suffering is more than enough.”

AD chairman Michael Briguglio said NGOs and the media should have full access to detention centres to help a continuous discussion on detention policy and other immigrant issues.

The Home Affairs and Justice Ministry yesterday refused to allow journalists from The Times to visit the Safi detention centre but said the request would be accepted once the situation returned “to normal”.

Asked whether the ministry was satisfied with the way security personnel handled the riot, a ministry spokesman regretted that a number of persons were injured, adding it was understood that reasonable force was required to control the situation.

Responding to claims by the protesting migrants, the ministry denied any reported cases of attempted suicide. It said doctors working at the centres examined an average of 60 people daily.

Meanwhile, the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers is working on an educational programme for detainees as done successfully at Ħal Far.

“It is understood that the riot resulted from the disappointment and anger of a number of asylum seekers after their application (for asylum) had been refused,” it said.

During the last week, the office of the Refugee Commissioner concluded 53 cases of which 31 were refusals.

Failed asylum seekers are immediately considered for deportation but this can only happen once the authorities obtain travel documents for them. Sometimes the receiving countries do not cooperate so not all rejected migrants are repatriated during their 18-month maximum detention period.

The General Workers’ Union expressed solidarity with the detention services officers, soldiers and policemen who faced the rioting immigrants, saying their conditions of work must improve. It asked for a meeting with the Home Affairs Ministry to seek solutions, particularly to the fact that detention services officers were locked inside with detained immigrants at their peril.

Besides detention staff, Tuesday’s operation involved 85 army personnel and 120 police officers.

Twenty-three migrants were arrested and arraigned yesterday.

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