A stowaway on board a merchant vessel who hoped to slip away “for want of a better future abroad” was escorted back to shore and to court where he landed a seven-month jail term upon admission. 

Sudanese-national Yusuf Yahya Mustafa, 22, had first arrived in Malta in June 2021 and was subsequently released from detention while being afforded all benefits available to asylum seekers.

Yet the man opted to leave the island and prepared a plan of escape. 

On April 14 in the afternoon, he boarded a merchant vessel at the Marsa terminal and was later spotted roaming on deck by port security officers.

But the ship had already set sail.

The captain of the vessel was alerted to the presence of the stowaway on board and the man was kept under surveillance until he was handed over to Maltese police once the ship sailed back to port on Monday.

On Tuesday, he was escorted to court and charged with breaching immigration laws by trying to escape as a stowaway. 

After consulting his legal aid lawyer, the accused pleaded guilty and confirmed his admission in spite of being informed about the consequences thereof. 

His lawyer, Martin Fenech, highlighted the fact that the man had a clean criminal record, had not acted with criminal intent and his actions were “in the hope of a better future”.

In light of this, the accused deserved a punishment that tended towards the minimum rather than the maximum, pleaded his lawyer.

Prosecuting Inspector Hubert Gerada countered that although this incident involved no fake documents and the accused had immediately admitted his wrongdoing, he had proceeded with his plan of escape. 

In fact, the accused had originally been accompanied by a friend who, however, got cold feet and did not venture on board, the prosecutor added. 

After hearing submissions on punishment and after a brief adjournment of the hearing, Magistrate Victor George Axiak delivered judgment, declaring the accused guilty upon his own admission and condemning him to a seven-month jail term.