VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Foreign prisoners serving the final weeks or months of their sentences will be eligible for early release and deportation under measures aimed at easing overcrowding in Malta’s prisons, Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield has announced. Bedingfield said the measure would significantly protect Malta’s resources, national security and the well-being of prisoners.
Bedingfield said he had signed deportation orders for two third-country nationals who were nearing the end of their sentences.
The minister highlighted the pressure on prison facilities, noting that the prison was built around 200 years ago to accommodate 400 inmates but now houses approximately 800.
Foreign prisoners who have not committed serious crimes, including murder and major drug trafficking offences, may qualify for early release and deportation, with no possibility of returning to Malta. Eligibility and the timing of release will depend on several factors, including the nature of the crime and the inmate’s behaviour in prison, Bedingfield said.
He added that many foreign inmates remain incarcerated beyond their original sentences because they cannot afford to pay fines imposed by the courts. “In these cases it ends up costing the government more to keep them in prison than the fine they should have paid,” the minister said, noting the significant expense of maintaining inmates.
– photo Malta’s Foreign Ministry –
(ITALPRESS).
