Confiscated assets should be put to social use - Repubblika
NGO calls for the principle of reclaiming spaces for social use to be enshrined in law
Repubblika has called for assets confiscated from crime and corruption to be put to social use, urging the government to enshrine the principle in law.
The rule-of-law NGO said this should take place following a public consultation involving all stakeholders.
On Tuesday, Repubblika published the report Reclaiming Spaces, Building Communities: Mapping Social Reuse Practices of Confiscated, Abandoned, and Unoccupied Assets Across Europe, prepared as part of the European RESTART project.
The research examines the social reuse of confiscated assets across five European countries – Malta, Germany, Romania, Belgium and Italy.
It analyses how assets seized from organised crime can be transformed into instruments for social inclusion, community development and local regeneration.
The findings reveal “uneven levels of implementation” across Europe. While in Italy confiscated assets represent a consolidated policy tool, in other countries the analysis extends to vacant or abandoned properties, reflecting differing legal frameworks and levels of institutional capacity, the report said.
The report highlighted common challenges including bureaucratic delays, limited access to funding and weak community engagement, alongside occasional risks such as intimidation or economic pressure.
In Malta’s case, there are no examples of the social reuse of confiscated criminal assets. However, Repubblika interviewed four NGOs that were involved in successfully reusing previously abandoned or unoccupied properties as an example of the “potential for success of extending the social reuse principle to confiscated assets.
The report noted repurposing confiscated real estate offers “a unique opportunity” for expansion of the government’s Specialised Housing Programmes beyond the use of abandoned or unoccupied properties.
It also highlighted how Albania could provide a “viable model” for Malta. Up to 2016, Albanian policymakers lacked awareness of the importance and benefits of the social reuse of confiscated assets but this started changing in 2019.
Repubblika pointed out that “too often, confiscated property is treated simply as a financial asset to be sold or disposed of, rather than as a resource that can be reinvested in society”.
“The social reuse of confiscated assets sends a powerful message. Criminal organisations and corrupt individuals enrich themselves at society’s expense. Their proceeds should therefore be returned to society.”
“Assets built on corruption, exploitation, trafficking, money laundering, or organised crime should be transformed into schools, youth centres, social enterprises, cultural spaces, rehabilitation programmes, and community facilities,” Repubblika added.
The report shows that confiscation should not be viewed solely as a punitive measure. "It can also be a powerful instrument of justice."