Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has asked the Home Affairs Minister and the Police Commissioner to step up patrols at Marsa after residents complained of lax public order.
Several street fights have been reported in the locality.
Dr Muscat said that those involved needed to be arrested and arraigned as soon as possible, independently of their nationality.
He said that while he had expressed his appreciation for the work of the police force as well as the Armed Forces of Malta, residents were complaining that not enough was being done to ensure public order in areas such as Marsa.
While migrants tended to congregate in the area, the issue was not about race but about ensuring that everyone followed the rules, he said. It was unacceptable to have massive street fights occurring on a regular basis.
“I have asked Minister Michael Farrugia and the Police Commissioner to take action after a fight broke out in Marsa yesterday. They need to take all the necessary measures to show that these things are unacceptable and that everyone needs to respect the law.
“This is not a question of one’s nationality but anyone who is involved in big fights or who attempts to take matters into their own hands, has to face justice,” Dr Muscat argued.
Giving a quick break-down of the week’s events, Dr Muscat said that the handing out of income tax refunds this week was further proof that the benefits of a healthy economy were reaching the people. He said that the upcoming Budget will once again include measures that will continue to make people’s lives better.
Dr Muscat went on to chastise the Nationalist Party for “trying to politicise everything”, referring to the party’s reaction to the Magħtab fire incident. He said that while the PN was quick to blame the government for what happened at the waste facility, the party had refused to sit on a technical committee tasked with assessing Malta's waste-to-energy options.
On the migrants crisis, the Prime Minister reiterated that the issue is an ongoing one which the government was monitoring closely.