Volunteers were distributing food to migrants at the Peace Lab in Ħal Far on Thursday after no meals were provided at the nearby open centre since Sunday night.

Groups of migrants, some as young as 15, picked up bread rolls, a portion of pasta with red sauce and a piece of cake.

One of the twice-daily meals normally provided to migrants at Ħal Far Tent Village

The Ħal Far open centre, known as the 'tent village', was the scene of a riot on Sunday night when offices and cars belonging to staff were set on fire. Scores of migrants were arrested and taken to court. 

The Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS) confirmed it had been unable to distribute any food at the open centre since then. It said fires on Sunday night had made administration buildings unsafe and electrical cables had been cut. Several members of staff were also on sick leave after suffering trauma on Sunday night. 

A group of migrants told Times of Malta that they were having trouble cooking for themselves since electricity was not available in most of the centre.

After talks with the Home Affairs Ministry and NGOs, Father Dionisius Mintoff, director of the Peace Lab, said he had made the Lab's nearby premises available for the distribution of food to the migrants. 

In a statement, AWAS confirmed that food for the residents of Ħal Far would be distributed by the Peace Lab with whom the agency was collaborating. 

“The Open Centre has been rendered dysfunctional and the offices have been completely destroyed. AWAS is working to restore functionality as soon as possible,”  it said. 

On Wednesday Fr Mintoff himself distributed food to groups of migrants. He offered migrants under the age of 16 temporary residence at the Peace Lab.

The AWAS disputes that there are unaccompanied minors under the age of 16 at the facility.

"AWAS abides by the EU Reception Conditions Directive. All those who have been transferred to the Ħal Far Tent Village have been age assessed by a multidisciplinary team and their age established to be 16 years and over,” the agency said. 

Crew members of the search and rescue vessel Lifeline also gave a helping hand, cooking all the food they had on their ship. 

"We were sitting on the boat and we thought what can we do. The most urgent need is food so we prepared 35 kilos couscous and other stuff we had,” said one member.