Migrants to be able to appeal long detention

A new law was being drafted that would allow illegal immigrants who felt they had been detained for an unreasonable time to appeal for release before a special board, Home Affairs and Justice Minister Tonio Borg said yesterday.

Speaking to The Times, the minister said the bill would be discussed in parliament shortly.

However, one needed to ensure that nobody used the law to threaten the government. If people were detained for a long time and their case had not yet been decided, the board could decide to let them free under certain conditions.

But the government could not deal with threats made by people who were challenging the authorities because they did not want to go back to their homeland after their request for refugee status was rejected and they lost the appeal, he said.

"Up to now the government has taken the middle road - in favour of detention. Now it will give the opportunity to people who feel they have been detained for too long to refer their case to the board," he said.

A group of detainees is currently on a hunger strike to protest against prolonged detention. Today will mark their second week on the strike, which started on February 26. A number of them have had to receive hospital treatment.

A hunger-striker who contacted The Times said they were only taking water and glucose.

Dr Borg said the government could not interfere in their decision to go on hunger strike.

"The hunger-strikers are being given the necessary medical aid and their condition is being examined," he said.

He said the people who were on hunger strike had been refused asylum and had also lost their appeal but were refusing to cooperate with the authorities so that they could be sent back to their homeland.

There are currently 220 illegal immigrants in detention.