The squatters who have occupied the 19th century Fort Binġemma for decades will “eventually” be evicted following legal proceedings, Lands Minister Silvio Schembri said on Friday.

The fortification, regarded as a site of national heritage, has been illegally used as a residence by the Buttigieg family since the 1980s.

To my knowledge, legal proceedings have been concluded and now the authority can take the next step- Lands Minister Silvio Schembri

Times of Malta this week confirmed that the authorities have not yet acted on an audit carried out by the Lands Authority which established that the occupiers of the protected fort – which now features a swimming pool – have no legal title.

Schembri said the matter should soon be concluded with the squatter’s eviction.

"To my knowledge, legal proceedings have been concluded and now the authority can take the next step,” he said.

Asked to clarify what he meant, Schembri said: “The next step is to eventually evict the person who is occupying the land.”

He added that this was not a unique case. The authority received regular reports and followed the necessary procedures.

A reporter and photographer were confronted by a squatter and his dogs

The place was leased to Gaetano Buttigieg for cow-rearing on the eve of the 1981 general election. The family have resided in the fort without authorisation ever since, despite the cow-rearing lease having expired in 1997.

The government continued to accept rent from the family until 2009, when an order was given to stop accepting payment and evict the family.

Despite the audit having established they have no legal title, the words “private property” have been spray-painted over parts of the fort, which enjoys Grade One protection under heritage laws.

Binġemma Fort dates back to the 19th century and formed part of the Victoria Lines, a series of fortifications built by the British stretching from Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq on the east coast to Fomm ir-Riħ on the west coast.

When Times of Malta visited the fort earlier this week, the reporter and photographer were greeted by one of the squatters and three barking dogs.

When questioned, he insisted that the fort was his.