Officers from the Detention Services Centre, have begun to offer their services to the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS), to help provide assistance to those people seeking asylum in Malta.

This is happening while work is taking place to upgrade and refurbish the detention centre.

Details were given by the Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela when he presented certificates to officers from the Detention Services who have successfully completed training on fire fighting, provided by the Emergency Response and Rescue Corps.

During the presentation, Dr Abela highlighted the department initiative for staff to strengthen skills in line with their duties, in particular when time permitted.

He mentioned how these officers had experienced the human migration crisis closely and lived at a time when Malta had to face this challenge alone.

He referred to international reports which claims that hundreds of thousands of immigrants were ready to cross from Libya to Europe via the Mediterranean this summer. 

When Malta assumes the role of the EU presidency in January, migration, in particular cooperation with countries of origin and transit, would be top of the agenda, Dr Abela said.