More than half of the calls to emergency hotline 112 last year were either invalid or hoaxes, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said. 

The 112 line connects to all emergency services, including ambulance, police, civil protection, and armed forces. The line is available everywhere in the EU and the call is free of charge. 

On Wednesday, Camilleri said the free emergency line received 360,941 calls last year, with 205,034 flagged as either “prank calls” or meant to be directed to another entity. 

While the figure may seem alarmingly high, the minister said the number of invalid calls to the emergency hotline has decreased when compared to previous years. 

Education Minister Clifton Grima (left) and Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri spoke to children about the importance of the emergency helpline 112. Photo: Jonathan Borg

In 2021, more than three in every four calls to the emergency line were invalid or hoaxes. In 2022, over 290,000 calls were made, with 70% of them being invalid.

“Such prank calls can take up time from those who are truly experiencing an emergency, and could be at risk of death,” Camilleri said. 

“On average, such emergency calls are answered in three seconds, but if we are more efficient in the way we use this helpline we can reduce that time.”

Around 89,300 genuine calls were received on the hotline in 2023.

The minister was speaking during an event at the Gudja Primary School to mark European 112 Day.

School children ranging between the ages of four to 11 had the opportunity to speak to emergency responders to understand the day-to-day roles of the police, nurses, and AFM soldiers.

Camilleri was joined by Education Minister Clifton Grima. 

This is not the first time the government has pleaded with the public to use 112 responsibly.

School children from Gudja Primary School had the opportunity to practice CPR with emergency responders. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Camilleri said 77% of calls- over 68,000- were for paramedics and ambulances. 

Another 13% were for the civil protection department, and 10% for police. 

A small percentage (2%) of calls required the armed forces to assist. 

Grima urged the students to correctly use the hotline and to make sure to share information about it with their family and friends. 

Gudja Primary School students spent the morning learning about the role of emergency responders. Photo: Jonathan Borg