The stunning graffiti mural in Sliema depicting a man scrambling into a hole in a wall of a building has emerged in the south of Italy.

Created by artist MTO, the figure of a bearded grey man emerged on a building in the town of Sapri. It is the continuation of the four-storey high mural, adjacent to the Regina car park in Sliema, which has been turning heads. It is meant to portray the struggle of migrants who leave southern shores and head to northern Europe in search of a better life.

On his Facebook page, the artist captions the picture: ‘Malta takes the dead and sends the living to Italy’.

MTO's mural ‘The Mediterranean Door’ was performed for the Sliema Arts Festival.

MTO was invited to Malta by one of the island's own top street artists, James Micallef Grimaud, thanks to funds from the Sliema council.