Two migrants who admitted to using forged passports in an attempt to flee Malta were jailed for six months on Thursday, with the court being told there had been some 120 such cases over the past month.

The lawyer representing the migrants earlier told the court that such people were wasting their money and risking their personal freedom when trying to travel out of the country by using false documents 

“Someone is enriching himself at the expense of these poor souls,” legal
aid lawyer Francine Abela said when making submissions on punishment in respect of Suleiman Giddo, 25 and Yahya Younes Abdelmarsi, 22, both Sudanese, arrested on Wednesday after presenting false passports on their way out of Malta to Sicily.

The duo were arraigned separately, both admitting to identical charges, even
after being warned by the court that the charges carried a minimum jail
term of 6 months and a maximum term of two years.

“Ideally these men should get a suspended sentence so as to be able to return
to Hal Far (open centre) and serve as messengers to warn fellow migrants not to follow the same route,” said the lawyer, adding that these migrants are not aware that such acts are in breach of law.

The men had allegedly forked out €300 and €500 for the passports, only to
land in hot water when presenting the documents at passport control.

Others back at the camp might think that their friends are now in Sicily,
without realizing that they had landed in jail, argued Abela.

Prosecuting Inspector Frankie Sammut countered that rather than apply a
suspended sentence, the court ought to apply a longer term of imprisonment,
since the minimum 6-month term did not have a sufficiently deterring effect.

“We have had 120 such cases over the last month,” Inspector Sammut said.

After hearing submissions by both parties the court, presided over by
magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo declared the men guilty upon their own
admission and handed each a 6-month effective jail term.