VALLETTA (MALTA) (MNA/ITALPRESS) – Nine out of ten irregular migrants who entered Malta this year have already been deported, Interior Minister Byron Camilleri announced on the national radio station. He said the individuals did not qualify for refugee status and were repatriated to their countries of origin.
Camilleri revealed that over 1,000 migrants were deported this year after committing crimes or overstaying their visas. He described 2025 as the year with the highest return rate, noting that 88% of the 146 irregular arrivals — more than 127 people — were sent back.
“This means Malta has registered the biggest rate of return, not to other European countries, but to the migrants’ home countries,” he said. According to the minister, this policy has contributed to a significant decline in sea arrivals.
He emphasised that protection is granted where necessary, citing recent asylum approvals for Palestinians and LGBTIQ persons facing persecution.
Camilleri rejected claims that Malta’s detention centres breach human rights, pointing to a positive report from the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture, which praised Malta’s detention facilities, prisons, and police lock-ups.
Referring to a recent tragedy in which one migrant died and eleven were rescued in Malta’s search-and-rescue area, he noted that the survivors later entered Italy.
As part of Malta’s Labour Migration Policy, Camilleri announced that a new course on culture, traditions, and rights for foreign workers will begin in January.
– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
