Malta-Libya talks on repatriation of migrants

Malta and Libya are at an advanced stage of negotiations on an agreement for the repatriation of illegal immigrants who would have left from their territory, Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said in reply to a parliamentary question yesterday.

Malta and Libya are at an advanced stage of negotiations on an agreement for the repatriation of illegal immigrants who would have left from their territory, Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said in reply to a parliamentary question yesterday. Proposals for a similar agreement have been made to Tunisia, but no concrete headway has been made yet.

Dr Borg told Labour MP Gavin Gulia that the problem of illegal migration was discussed last week at a meeting of home affairs ministers of the Western Mediterranean, at which both Libya and Tunisia were represented. There was consensus at the meeting that there was need for a solution to the problem of illegal migration.

Dr Borg said in reply to another question that work has been taken in hand for the setting up of "open centres" for illegal immigrants at two blocks in the area known at Ta' B'Xejn in Hal Far.

Dr Borg confirmed that 136 of the illegal immigrants repatriated from Italy last week have now been sent back to Egypt. Another 11 will be repatriated this week. None applied for refugee status.

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