Alex Dalli, the controversial former director of prisons, is being appointed the government's special representative in Libya, dealing with matters of national security including migration.

He will also sit on the Malta-Libya Coordination Centre for the fight against illegal migration, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri has announced.   

He said Dalli had been appointed on the basis of his vast experience in the armed forces.

The coordination centre was set up in July last year following talks between the Libyan and Maltese prime ministers. 

Dalli suspended himself from the prison service on November 7 after a prisoner's suicide sparked an inquiry into procedures, amid concern at the high number of deaths among prisoners while he was director.

Earlier this month, the government said Dalli would not be reinstated. The inquiry issued 32 recommendations for the administration of the prisons, including appointing a commissioner for prisoners' rights. 

At the time, Camilleri said the government was looking at ways to make use of Dalli's talents, saying he brought about much-needed change and improved the situation in the prisons. 

Dalli had run the prison since 2018. 

He was frequently under fire for his unorthodox methods of discipline, which reportedly included a poster that told officials to “teach fear” and a restraining chair to which unruly inmates were strapped.  

However, he was also praised for breaking up prison violence, weeding out drugs, pushing for upgrades to the Victorian era facility, and overseeing a recruitment drive for rehabilitation professionals.