Quick Facts

Dedicated immigration detention Sites: 3 (2009)
Est. capacity of three dedicated centres: 1,900
Maximum length of detention: No legal limit
Asylum Seekers: 503 (end 2008)
Total no. of detainees: 1,864 (end 2008)

Country Links

Last updated: December 2009

Malta Country Profile

Reference List

  • AFP. 2009. “EU leaders say illegals can be sent home on charter flights.” AFP. 30 October 2009.
  • Amnesty International. 2009. “Migrants put at Risk as Border Disputes Delay Rescue Efforts.” Amnesty International News. 7 May 2009.
  • Borg, The Hon. Tonio. 2008. “The Hon. Tonio Borg, delivers opening speech at DAR Seminar. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malta Press Release, 9 October 2008.
  • Camilleri, Ivan. 2008. “EU proposal to alleviate migration burden.” Timesofmalta.com. 9 November 2008. 
  • Camilleri, Ivan. 2009. “Frontex to take charge of repatriation.” Timesofmalta.com. 18 September 2009. 
  • Darmanin, David. 2009. “Barrot pledges aid to improve detention conditions.” Maltatoday.com 15 March 2009. http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2009/03/15/t9.html (accessed November 2009).
  • European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI). 2007. Third Report on Malta. Council of Europe. Adopted on 14 December 2007.
  • European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). 2006. Report by the LIBE Committee delegation on its visit to the administrative detention centres in Malta: Rapporteur: Giusto Catania. European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. PV/613713EN.doc. Brussels. 30 March 2006.
  • Europolitics. 2009. “EU considers shared charter flights for illegals.” Europolitics. 29 October 2009. http://www.europolitics.info/external-policies/eu-considers-shared-charter-flights-for-illegals-art252738-44.html (accessed 2 November 2009).
  • Frendo, Prof. Henry J. 2007. National report on the Implementation of the Directive on Reception Conditions for Asylum Seekers in Malta. University of Malta, Msida. 2007. http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/doc_centres/asylum/studies/docs/malta_2007_en.pdf (accessed November 2009).
  • Frontex. 2007. FRONTEX-Led EU Illegal Immigration Technical Mission to Libya 28 May – 5 June 2007. Frontex.
  • Government of Malta. 2008. Government of Malta Reply to ECRI’s third report. Government of Malta. Strasbourg. 19 March 2008.
  • Human Rights Watch (HRW). 2009. Pushed Back, Pushed Around: Italy's Forced Return of Boat Migrants and Asylum Seekers, Libya's Mistreatment of Migrants and Asylum Seekers. Human Rights Watch. United States of America. September 2009. www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/09/21/pushed-back-pushed-around-0 (accessed 5 October 2009).
  • Immigration Act. 1970. Chapter 217 of the Laws of Malta. 21st September 1970. ACT IX of 1970, as amended by Acts XLIV of 1972, XLIX of 1981, VIII of 1982, XIII of 1983, XXXIII of 1988, XXV of 1989, VIII of 1990, XXIV of 1995, IV and IX of 2000, XXIII of 2002, and VIII of 2004; Legal Notice 248 of 2004; Acts XIII and XVII of 2005; Legal Notices 274 and 411 of 2007; and Acts VII and XV of 2008.
  • Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS). 2006. Asylum in Malta: What you should know: Guide to the asylum procedure for immigrants in detention. JRS in collaboration with the European Refugee Fund and the UNHCR.
  • Médecins Sans Frontières. 2009. "Not Criminals": Médecins Sans Frontières Exposes Conditions for Undocumented Migrants and Asylum Seekers in Maltese Detention Centres. Médecins Sans Frontières. Brussels. April 2009.
  • Micallef, Julian (Assistant Director Third Country Nationals, Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs, Malta). 2009a. Interview by Cecilia Cannon (Global Detention Project). Phone conversation. 19 November 2009. Global Detention Project. Geneva, Switzerland. 19th November 2009.
  • Micallef, Julian (Assistant Director Third Country Nationals, Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs, Malta). 2009b. Email message to Cecilia Cannon (Global Detention Project). 20 November 2009. Global Detention Project. Geneva, Switzerland. 19th November 2009.
  • Places of Detention Designation Order. Subsidiary Legislation 217.03. 10 March 1995. Legal Notices 30 of 1995, 193 of 1996, 76 of 1999 and 65 and 152 of 2002, consolidated. 
  • Refugees Act. 2001. Chapter 420. 1st October, 2001. Act XX of 2000, as amended by Act VIII of 2004 and Legal Notice 40 of 2005.
  • States Parties to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol. As of 1 October 2008. UNHCR.
  • The Times of Malta. 2009. “Jesuits call for EU solidarity and ‘truly accessible’ asylum.” The Times of Malta. 23 October 2009.
  • United Nations (UN) Press Release. 2009. “Human Rights Council Adopts Outcomes of Universal Periodic Review on Republic of Congo and Malta.” UN Press Release, Human Rights Council, Afternoon. 23 September 2009.
  • UN News Service. 2009. “Top UN refugee official calls for meeting on Mediterranean irregular migration.” UN News Service. 20 May 2009. http://www.un.org/apps/news/printnews.asp?nid=30870 (accessed 5 June 2009).
  • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 2009. 2008 Global Trends: refugees, Asylum-seekers, Returnees, Internally Displaced and Stateless Persons. UNHCR. 16 June 2009. http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c364c4d6.html (accessed 29 July 2009).
  • UN Working Group on Arbitrary (WGAD). 2009. “UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Concludes Visit to Malta.” United Nations Press Release. 26 January 2009.
  • UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD). 2009 Annex. “Annex to the press release on the visit of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to Malta.” United Nations Press Release. 26 January 2009.