The Human Rights’ Watch has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat urging him to revise Malta’s immigration laws in line with recent European Court of Human Rights decisions.

In their letter they said:

“We were encouraged to learn of the review of detention initiated in 2012 by the Office of the Prime Minister under the previous administration, and are eager to hear of steps by the present government taken to continue and conclude that review.

“Issues raised both in the review and by the European Court of Human Rights echo Human Rights Watch’s concerns about arbitrary detention of migrants and asylum seekers and detention of unaccompanied children in Malta’s immigration detention facilities.”

Human Rights Watch recommended that Malta revised its laws and policies pertaining to immigration detention, so that migrants would not be detained simply because they entered without permission, and allow for detention of asylum seekers only exceptionally.

“We strongly recommend that Malta end the unnecessary detention of unaccompanied migrant children, by amending legislation to prohibit the immigration detention of migrant children (pending age determination) for the sole reason that they arrived irregularly.”

The full letter can be read in the pdf link below.