A woman who travelled to Malta under the guise of a language student while hoping to make it to mainland Europe has been jailed for six months after trying to fly to Budapest with someone else's passport. 

Nguyen Thi Hanh, a 26-year-old Vietnamese national, left her newborn child with her mother in search of a better life in Europe when she travelled to Malta some months ago.

When she landed, the woman presented her own genuine documents to Maltese authorities.

Her passport was withheld by immigration police, to be returned to her once her 'study trip' was over. 

Court was told on Monday that the police recently busted a racket involving Vietnamese 'students' who paid even as much as €18,000, to get documents enabling them to gain access to Schengen Europe.

"They acquire a visa as students. But they never intend to be students... Malta is the easiest place to get a visa. They get it and flee," explained prosecuting Inspector Karl Roberts. 

Immigration authorities therefore began withholding the 'students' passports to make sure they would head back home at the end of their visit. The 'students' would therefore obtain someone else's passport to try to travel out of Malta. 

In this case, the accused was stopped at the airport on Saturday while on her way to catch a flight to Budapest. 

"She was meant to have been studying English in Malta for three months, yet cannot say a word in English, " the inspector pointed out. 

The woman was charged with possession and use of a third party's passport as well as making a false statement to the principal immigration officer. 

She registered an admission. 

Her legal aid lawyer, Luke Valletta, pointed out that the woman had a newborn baby and suggested a suspended sentence so that she might be deported immediately and reunited with her family. 

However, the court, presided over by Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, pointed out that the accused had left her 15-day-old child with her mother when she travelled to Malta. 

In light of the accused's early admission, the court condemned her to a six-month effective jail term which was a minimal punishment in terms of law. 

The defence gave notice in case the accused sought to appeal the sentence.