The days of squatters in Fort St Elmo, Valletta, are numbered as the government is determined to stop the prevailing situation at the crumbling and neglected heritage site.
No timeframes for their eviction have been stated but the plan is to avoid jeopardising next year's carnival, which is round the corner, by removing the float organisers housed in the fort, the Parliamentary Secretary for Government Revenues and Land, Jason Azzopardi said.
"It is not just a question of enforcement but of ensuring that carnival will still be held," he said.
Although the situation at the fort was cause for major concern, the cultural element needed to be factored in, he said. After all, the carnival float organisers are not considered to be squatters.
"Whether we like it or not, they have been there for years, so we cannot just ask them to leave overnight. They have the blessing of the culture authorities, which are taking the issue seriously," Dr Azzopardi said.
The problem was that Lower Fort St Elmo was a "free for all". There was no controlled access to the priceless jewel of architectural and military history, and that was unacceptable, he said.
The aim of the enforcement action would be to avoid the damage the fort was suffering and to control access.
Dr Azzopardi has been working on the St Elmo situation, which has been deteriorating for years, since July. Over the past weeks, he has had detailed discussions with the many ministries that have a finger in the pie.
"The situation is being analysed and the way forward mapped out for the crunch time," Dr Azzopardi said, adding that he has also had a meeting with the Police Commissioner on the matter of "concern".
Meanwhile, the Government Property Division has asked the culture authorities to submit a list of names of those who should have access to Lower Fort St Elmo.
"It is in the process of collating the necessary information to be in a position to know who can go there and who cannot," Dr Azzopardi said.
Fort St Elmo has become a collective effort and coordinated issue, with Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco calling it a "national disgrace".
"The government is being prudent but is determined in what it wants to achieve," Dr Azzopardi said.
Since March, the GPD has carried out 105 enforcement actions, using a mere five officers, up from two, and collecting more than 800 items, mostly tables and chairs.
The latest find during recent enforcement action at Victoria Lines was probably the most "bewildering", according to Dr Azzopardi. It unearthed 22 cars, a boat and a truck engine, belonging to one private owner and stored in government property.
"The man just abused of government garages, without any right, or title," Dr Azzopardi said.
He has been called in by the police, who have found that he is not in possession of documents of ownership for all the cars. Two more enforcement actions are lined up for the coming days but locations could not be disclosed to retain the element of surprise and curb any heightened opposition to the clamp-down on abuse of public property.