A man who was rescued with his partner on the NGO rescue ship Aquarius and brought to Malta after a lengthy standoff has now found he cannot leave Malta for France, where his partner has been taken.

He tried leaving on Sunday but was stopped at the airport by officials who noticed he was using forged documents.  

Cameroon-national Pierre Onana Onana, 33, has lived in a hut in Ħal Far since he was brought to Malta on board the NGO vessel on August 15.

At the time, the man had been rescued alongside his partner and mother of his infant child.

The woman was relocated to France as part of an agreement for France to take some of the migrants.

But, the court was told, since the couple were not married, French authorities refused to acknowledge him and denied him permission to join his partner in France.

Prosecuting Inspector Darren Buhagiar explained in court that the man had tried to fly to France using forged Italian travel documents.  He had claimed that he had no idea the documents were false.

“In view of the very particular circumstances of this case, some clarifications are called for,” legal aid counsel Charmaine Cherrett told the court, explaining how her client had met two persons who had offered to help him get to France to reunite with his partner.

He gave the police the details of the two individuals, Dr Cherrett pointed out, adding, “We’re not excusing what he did but the court needs to be aware of these circumstances.”

“I humbly plead that he be spared jail,” the lawyer concluded.

Inspector Buhagiar pointed out that the baby was not with the mother in France but was still in Cameroon, adding that the accused had tried to deceive local authorities.

Upon the man’s own admission, Magistrate Gabriella Vella, declared him guilty of making use of forged documents and, in view of the circumstances of the case, his clean conviction sheet, cooperation and early guilty plea, condemned him to a six-month jail term suspended for two years.