VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta’s government push to send migrants to their country of origin continued with the return of 44 people in a police-led operation, the Home Affairs Ministry said. The group had been disembarked in Malta on December 12 after being rescued at sea by the Armed Forces of Malta. One person died during the rescue.
The latest returns followed a separate operation involving four other individuals, bringing the total number of people returned over a 17-day period to 48.
The ministry described the operation as both large-scale and unusually swift, noting that the migrants had arrived in Malta just over two weeks earlier. It said the returns mean that 81% of irregular migrants who arrived in Malta during 2025 have now been sent back to their countries of origin, while overall arrivals remain among the lowest on record.
According to the ministry, irregular arrivals over the past five years have fallen by 93%, as returns of individuals who do not qualify for asylum have increased. Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said Malta continues to apply a migration policy that distinguishes between those entitled to international protection and those with no legal right to remain. He said refugees are provided with assistance, while those who abuse the system are returned as efficiently as possible. Camilleri added that completing a return operation within 17 days sends a strong signal to human trafficking networks, which he said put lives at risk at sea.
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