Amnesty International has issued its annual global report (see pdf below) on the state of human rights.

In its section on Malta it focuses mostly on the treatment of migrants, noting concerns regarding the detention of migrants while also noting progress in some aspects.

Amnesty also highlights that abortion remains prohibited in Malta in all circumstances, with women being denied access to it even when their life is at risk.

When discussing the treatment of migrants, Amnesty noted that the implementation of a new reception regime for asylum-seekers and migrants had started, which moved away from automatic and mandatory detention of people entering Malta irregularly.

"However, there were concerns that safeguards against arbitrary and unlawful detention remained insufficient."  

It said concerns remained as to the interpretation of the legal grounds for detention, a lack of clarity on when alternatives to detention might apply, and the lack of safeguards to ensure the proportionate use of detention.