Malta’s detention policy is a necessity

I refer to a letter by Philip Manduca, secretary of the Malta Humanist Association, (September 3) regarding Malta’s detention policy and the living conditions inside our detention centres.

First, it is fitting to rectify an incorrect statement made by the association that Malta’s detention centres are not open to outside scrutiny. In fact, an open door policy for media operatives and non-governmental organisations has been in place since June 2008. The centres have since been visited by close to 150 foreign and Maltese journalists, photojournalists and cameramen, countless representatives of local and foreign non-governmental organisations that operate in this field and also by academics.

Secondly, the living conditions inside our detention centres have improved significantly since 2007, when the Amnesty International report quoted by the association was prepared. The Hermes block in Ħal Far has been totally refurbished and remodelled in a year-long project that was largely financed by the European Union’s Emergency Fund. A new reception complex, again financed by the European Union, was also built in Ta’ Kandja.

Of course, these centres can only be refurbished if they are empty. Logically, this becomes challenging when our country is faced with a substantial influx of irregular immigrants, such as the one we experienced at the start of the Libyan revolution earlier this year. The government was, and remains, committed towards achieving further progress in this area.

Third, pursuant to investment in the Office of the Refugee Commissioner the average time frame for the processing of asylum applications at first instance now stands at approximately five to six months.

This improvement in time frames has several benefits, including the early release from detention of genuine asylum seekers who would have entered the country irregularly. Detention, however, remains a necessity, particularly in view of Malta’s geo-social realities and the fact that the identity of irregular migrants cannot be ascertained upon arrival. Notwithstanding this, the humanitarian aspect is not ignored, particularly given that vulnerable irregular migrants have their freedom restricted only until such time as the relevant medical clearances are granted.

Regrettably, the association’s recommendation to do away with administrative detention is simply not feasible in the local context, especially as Malta receives migratory influxes disproportionate to its size and capacity.

The government, however, remains determined to afford international protection, in accordance with its international and EU commitments, to all the persons who deserve it in the most expeditious manner possible.