A lawyer representing two men caught on their arrival in Malta with a total of 10 passports yesterday described as an “administrative blunder” the fact that the authorities require physical passports to issue visas for people to travel.

Arthur Azzopardi said his clients travelled to Malta with their relatives’ passports to be able to apply for a visa so they could visit Malta.

Mosab Iliwi, a 23-year-old who lives in Ħamrun, and Najm Ryad, 31, from Paola, were arrested upon their arrival on a flight from Istanbul on Tuesday.

Police Inspector Lara Butters told Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras that while customs officers were searching their belongings, they were found in possession of a total of 10 passports, including their own.

Dr Azzopardi explained that his clients were carrying their relatives’ passports. They had intended to go to the Central Visa Unit in Malta to apply for visas for the other members of their family, because the requisite for a visa to be issued is an actual physical passport.

“This is an administrative blunder, to say the least, because someone cannot enter Malta without a visa and to apply for your visa you need your passport, so there is no option but to send it with other people. One of the men was carrying his wife’s and children’s passports,” he said.

He explained that both his clients were Syrian refugees with subsidiary protection and had been living in Malta for years.

Magistrate Galea Sciberras granted the men bail against a €5,000 personal guarantee.

They were ordered to sign the bail book three times each week.