A group of 69 lawyers this evening filed a judicial protest against the government over its plans to repatriate migrants who arrived in Malta this morning.

They noted that NGOs had not been given access to these migrants.

The government's decision, the lawyers said, was denying these migrants  their right to apply for asylum or protection.

As a result, the human rights of these people were being violated.

The lawyers called on the authorities to desist from abusively and illegally deporting the migrants.

See text of judicial protest and list of lawyers in pdf below.