The government has relocated 184 people who were found to be living in Malta illegally, it said on Friday, with a further 24 expected to be flown out in the coming days. 

It said in a statement that all 208 people were arrested in the past weeks after they were found to be living in Malta without the necessary paperwork.

Those affected came from several African, Asian, eastern European and Southern American countries.

The statement did not specify whether these migrants were repatriated or sent to other countries willing to take them on.

Authorities have ramped up efforts to identify and deport people living in Malta without documentation in recent weeks and have carried out raids, searches and arrests across Malta and Gozo to round up such suspects. 

Those relocated were caught in Paola, Fgura, Marsa, Ħamrun, Attard, Buġibba, St Paul’s Bay and Gozo the police said in a statement. 

The government said that it wants to send “a clear message” that it will not allow Maltese law to be broken.

Other breaches of the law, it said, were also discovered during the raids and several people had already been arraigned in court.