Seven migrants were sentenced to a one-year jail term suspended for two years for their involvement in the riot at the Ħal Far detention centre on Tuesday.

Six Nigerians and a man from Ghana apologised for what they did and, after consulting with legal aid lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace, they pleaded guilty to assaulting and threatening police and detention services officers on duty.

They also admitted causing damages worth under €1,165 and forming part of a group of more than 10 people assembled to commit a crime.

The accused were John Kwaku, 25, from Ghana and Nigerians Ernest Eselebor, 29, Darlington Ubhimihye, 31, Jonathan Moses, 23, Jude Austin, 31, Wisdom Erhunmwunse, 29, and a 17-year-old.

Magistrate Edwina Grima took note of the fact that they filed an early guilty plea, had clean criminal records and regretted their actions. She thus opted for a suspended jail term.

The uprising started at about midday when a parliamentary delegation visited the centre to assess the living conditions. It was cut short when a number of migrants started knocking on windows and chanting “freedom”.

Some threw stones out of the windows and police officers in anti-riot gear intervened and even fired rubber pellets as warning shots.

No one was hurt.

Police Inspectors Kevin Pulis and Johann Fenech prosecuted.