It was not a normal working day at the Marsa open centre yesterday as residents protested for the second day running against the presence of the coordinator, Ahmed Bugri.

The director of the Organisation for Integration and Welfare of Asylum Seekers (Oiwas), Alex Tortell said he spent a whole day at the centre meeting with representatives of the migrants.

"We listened to their complaints and accusations and assured them that we would be looking into them. However, we made it clear they had no right to decide who was employed at the centre," Mr Tortell said.

The Marsa centre is run by Fondazzjoni Suret il-Bniedem on behalf of the government agency Oiwas.

Mr Bugri reported for work as usual in the morning but residents started objecting to his presence a day after staging a peaceful but noisy protest against what they described as his "dictatorial" way of running the place.

At one point a sizeable police contingent was on standby outside the centre's gate. However the situation remained calm. The police left when Mr Bugri drove off out the centre to the applause of his detractors.

When contacted later, Mr Bugri said he left on his own accord and wasn't asked to leave. "I had an appointment at the ID card office. I did not go back because I felt that my presence could prejudice any investigation the Oiwas director wanted to make. I want the allegations to be investigated because I did nothing wrong. However, I expect the allegations to be substantiated," Mr Bugri said.

On Monday, Mr Bugri said he wanted to introduce more discipline and order at the Marsa open centre and this was irritating a number of migrants, most of who did not live there.

The issue that brought matters to a head was the construction of a new gate that would enable the centre's management to control access into and out of the centre. "The gate was meant to serve as additional security for the residents themselves. The centre is home to hundreds of migrants and every home deserves to have a front gate," Mr Tortell said.

He insisted there was no intention of introducing a curfew but control measures were intended to make sure that only Marsa residents actually lived there. It transpires that a number of migrants from the Ħal Far tent city moved to Marsa because of the unbearable heat under the tents.

Oiwas has started replacing the tents with mobile homes but progress is slow.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com