Malta has published a list of 154 foreign nationals being held in detention centres across the country, with three Ghanaians and 11 Nigerians among those identified in the figures presented to parliament.
The information was disclosed by Malta’s Home Affairs and Security Minister, Glenn Bedingfield, in response to a parliamentary question from Nationalist Party Member of Parliament Adrian Delia.
The figures provide a breakdown of the nationalities of foreign nationals currently represented in the country’s detention system, with people from several African, Asian and other countries featuring on the list.
Bangladeshis constitute the largest group, with 60 nationals in detention. They are followed by Syrians, with 17 detainees, while Nigerians account for 11 of the total number recorded.
Libya has 10 nationals in detention, while India accounts for eight. Eritrea has five nationals on the list, while Somalia, Pakistan and The Gambia each have four.
Ghana is among the countries with three nationals represented in the figures, alongside Algeria, Morocco and Mali.
Other countries with nationals listed include Botswana, Sudan, Colombia and Cameroon, each with two people in detention. Several additional countries have one national each represented in the published figures.
These include Palestine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Georgia, Serbia, Senegal, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Egypt, Ukraine and Nepal.
The figures also provide a gender breakdown of the detainees. Of the 154 foreign nationals recorded, 144 are men and 10 are women.
Among the women, three are Indian nationals, while Morocco and Botswana account for two each. Nigeria, Colombia and Uganda each have one female national represented in the figures.
The disclosure offers an overview of the different nationalities represented in Malta’s immigration detention facilities and highlights the presence of nationals from several African countries, including Ghana and Nigeria.
Malta is an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea and a member of the European Union. Its geographical position between North Africa and southern Europe has made migration a significant issue for its authorities, particularly in relation to people travelling towards Europe through Mediterranean routes.
The publication of the figures, however, does not provide a detailed explanation of the individual circumstances surrounding each person’s detention. It also does not establish that all those listed were detained for the same reason.
Immigration detention can involve different legal and administrative circumstances, and inclusion on the list should not automatically be interpreted as evidence that an individual has committed a criminal offence.
For Ghana, the figures confirm that three Ghanaian nationals are represented among the foreign detainees recorded in Malta. However, the information released does not identify the individuals or specify when they were detained, the reasons for their detention or the progress of any immigration proceedings involving them.
The 11 Nigerians listed represent a larger group of West African nationals in the figures, while citizens of The Gambia and Mali are also represented.
The information provides a snapshot of the nationalities recorded in Malta’s detention system and brings attention to the situation of foreign nationals whose immigration circumstances are being handled by the country’s authorities.
Further details about the individual cases, including the circumstances of the three Ghanaians, were not provided in the published breakdown.
Source: Thepressradio.com
