Ġnejna caravan owners defy police after being told to move
Four out of 13 caravan owners move their vehicles. Others will most likely be fined
Police have spoken to owners of 13 caravans parked on private land in Ġnejna Bay, but the vast majority have refused to budge.
"While four owners have removed their caravans without any legal action being taken against them, charges have been issued against the owners of the remaining caravans, and their cases are now sub judice before the court," a police spokesperson told Times of Malta in reply to questions.
No details were provided on what charges the owners will face, but a spokesperson said the owners will most likely face a fine.
The Ġnejna caravans are located in the parking area of a plot of private land, partially blocking public access to the bay. Some have set up porches with artificial turf, while others have deflated tyres.
In November, Times of Malta reported how the Mġarr mayor and land co-owners filed numerous reports to the authorities about the encroachment of caravans on the private land, which had become a "nuisance for the local council and residents".
A representative of the land's co-owners says the issue dates back 30 years, and despite attempts to speak to the caravan owners, they refuse to move from the private property.
The issue was once again brought to the public's attention when Momentum's Arnold Cassola posted a photo of the caravans earlier this month.
A decades-long saga
Complaints about caravans taking up the bay date back decades, with a Times of Malta opinion piece dating to 2006, highlighting how the picturesque bay had evolved into a “caravan and tent city”.
Mġarr mayor Paul Vella has also spoken frequently about locals' irritation with the caravans.
Caravans were completely unregulated until 2024, when new regulations restricted caravans to maximum stays of up to seven days in the summer months.
The regulations apply from June to September, and caravan owners must notify the Department of Local Government, rather than local councils, of the placement of their caravan. Throughout the rest of the year, caravans do not need a permit to park their caravan on public land.
Caravan owners pay €5 per day for summertime parking permits, with those aged 60 and over paying a heavily discounted €0.50 per day rate.