Soldiers' beds given to immigrants

Several Armed Forces soldiers are fuming after their beds were taken away and given to irregular immigrants - and replaced by "back-breaking" camp beds.

The AFM cannot keep operating on a shoestring budget, soldiers from the first regiment complained, days after their beds were replaced out of the blue. The beds are normally used when the soldiers are on a 12-hour shift.

"We are not expecting preferential treatment but replacing our beds with canvas camp beds that look like stretchers and are guaranteed to break your back is a bit too much," one soldier lamented.

When contacted, AFM commander Brigadier Carmelo Vassallo said that the replacement of the beds was a temporary measure. Still, the soldiers' complaints expose the problems of migrant detention, as soldiers trained for military and security purposes have had to assume the role of tending to and monitoring irregular immigrants until their case is decided.

The army has in fact been stretching itself to accomodate all the asylum seekers it has been entrusted with, even making room by ceding its own quarters for the migrants.

Another soldier expressed his frustration at the situation, saying soldiers were constantly making do with the bare minimum.

"Whenever anything has been taken from here, it was never returned. You must come and take a look at the state of some of the soldiers' boots to realise how embarrassing the situation has become," he complained.

Brigadier Vassallo said the AFM was stretched more than ever as it was now hosting some 900 irregular immigrants in detention centres. Lyster Barracks had been equipped with an additional 270 beds while a warehouse at Safi was being erected to house more migrants, he said.

"We're in the process of buying new beds. Especially with the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, I want everyone to have the places of rest they deserve," Brigadier Vassallo said.