Writing as a legal immigrant (and a former deportee) it occurs to me that the correct punishment for anybody who arrived in this country illegally and who then breaks the law in Malta should be deportation.

However, when people arrive on these islands, they are required like everybody else to obey the law. There seems little point in imprisonment (at taxpayers’ expense), and fining people who arrived with no money is presumably even more pointless.

Perhaps most important, deportation would surely serve as the ultimate deterrent to crime for people who arrived illegally in the first place.

I can foresee that such a penalty would lead to accusations that illegal immigrants were being picked on and charged with trivial offences. But that could easily be overcome by the establishment of a special court – a worthy job for one of the many underworked magistrates – who would treat the matter quickly and fairly (if such a member of the judiciary could be found).

I read that it costs €18,000 a year to accommodate a prisoner. I would be very surprised if it were as cheap as that.

But what is the point? Malta even jails people for trying to leave the country – how logical is that?

This isn’t a racist suggestion. Or, at least, it is not colour-prejudiced.

If, say, a Welshman (a “legal” immigrant) is found guilty of growing cannabis, he should be offered the options of going to jail or being sent back to the UK. If it were a matter of individual choice, it would be no concern for the EU.

But I see no reason to give that option to people who arrived here illegally, seeking sanctuary, and who then break the established laws of their host nation.