The days of the Marsa open centre are numbered and all residents will soon be relocated to Ħal Far in line with an electoral pledge by the Labour Party, Times of Malta has learnt.

Though no official announcement has been made yet, government sources insisted yesterday the timing of the centre’s closure was not a knee-jerk reaction to a ‘solidarity march’ planned for  Sunday by Marsa residents, who have long been complaining that the place had negatively impacted their community, especially in terms of law and order.

A man walks past a mosque at the open centre. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

“The relocation was promised in the June 3 general election manifesto and a lot of spade work was done in the first few months of this administration, to the point that the move is now imminent,” the sources said.

In its electoral programme, the Labour Party pledged to close the open centre in the wake of the sharp drop in the number of migrants reaching Maltese shores in recent years. The project, it said, would enable the government to provide better conditions to migrants in a centralised site, while incorporating the Marsa open centre in the regeneration plans for this inner harbour locality.

READ: In 2015, the government took over the open centre

Issues of security and anti-social behaviour, both in Marsa and in neighbouring localities, came to the fore last month following an incident involving a 29-year-old man from the Ivory Coast.

He pleaded guilty in court to charges of breaching the public peace after being arrested following reports that he had shouted “Allahu akbar” outside the Holy Trinity parish church in Marsa during a funeral service.

Mayors call for government intervention

The incident fuelled controversy with residents, including Ħamrun mayor Christian Sammut, venting their frustration on a number of issues. He complained that the authorities had failed to move to address the “lawlessness” prevailing in certain areas inhabited by migrants.

He said migrants lived in squalid and overcrowded conditions without basic amenities and others flouted the law on refuse collection and disposal while shops were being used as dormitories.

A few days ago, Mr Sammut thanked the Home Affairs Ministry and the Local Councils Association for the “positive response” to tackle the resident’s complaints on law and order.

READ: Ħamrun mayor says 'lawlessness' is on the rise

Marsa mayor Francis Debono echoed this sentiment, calling on the government to step up enforcement and start tackling pressing problems from a social perspective.

He noted that incidents of antisocial behaviour involving migrants had become a regular occurrence in his locality since the open centre came in use.

Mr Debono said that, apart from better policing, the issue had to be addressed through a social outreach programme.

A government spokesperson said that: “The government has been listening and understands the residents’ frustrations of the past years and has been and will remain actively acting to improve the quality of life of communities in various localities in Malta and Gozo.”

“The same goes for the communities around Ħal Far and Birżebbuġa which will have better patrolling and law enforcement.”

Meanwhile, a number of representatives of Labour-led councils such as those of Marsa, Ħamrun, Floriana and Paola have publicly backed the ‘solidarity march’.

Migrant community reaches out for talks

Migrant communities hailing from Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan reacted to the news by calling for dialogue with the government.

In a statement, the communities condemned law-breakers and urged people not to lump all migrants into the same basket. 

"We appreciate the refuge and welcome the Maltese government has given us...the fact that some migrants are breaking the law does not mean that all refugees and migrants will behave in this way," they said. 

Migrant communities said that Marsa had become their meeting point "since in other social places we are not accepted," and said the locality had been neglected for years. 

They called for the government to help migrants better integrate in Maltese society, through meeting centres where they could socialise with Maltese, stronger support structures for those suffering from mental health issues, a training centre with compulsory courses for migrants and the introduction of an overarching integration policy.