The right-wing party Azzjoni Nazzjonali has advised the government to ignore pressure from supranational and "ultimately unaccountable bodies" like the UN in the wake of a damning report by a working group on detention.

Referring to the working group's visit to Malta's detention centres last week, AN said it sees little of value in bureaucrats coming over, "indulging in patronising criticism and yet offering neither a solution nor, at least, tangible help". It urged the UN to stop lecturing.

Following a week-long visit which ended on Friday, the group heavily criticised the government over its detention policy and described the conditions at the Safi and Lyster barracks detention centres as "appalling".

Rapporteur Manuela Carmena Castrillo said the group had come across an eight-year-old boy in detention and a Somali man suffering from HIV and chicken pox "vegetating in a cell" in complete isolation when he should have been in hospital.

The government reacted with equally strong words, accusing the group of not fully appreciating the scale of the problem for Malta and stressing that its policy was aimed at striking a balance between the security and humanitarian dimensions of the issue.

AN yesterday said it agreed with the government's position fully. "...perhaps - as even the UN representative insinuated - it is more of a matter of 'reluctance' to help rather than an incapacity of comprehension," the party said in its statement.

"If the UN thinks it would fare better in accommodating illegal immigrants, perhaps it can relieve us of them and take care of them itself somewhere else," it argued, reminding the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) that it has so far proven to be more of a hindrance than a help, particularly on burden sharing.