Ħal Far

Ħal Far Immigration Reception Centre (Hal Far / "China House")

Malta

Status

In use

2023

Type: Secure reception centre (Administrative)

Custodial Authority: Minister for Home Affairs

Management: Detention Services (Governmental)

Detains: Adult men, Asylum seekers (administrative), Undocumented migrants (administrative)

Capacity Reported population Deaths at facility
350
188

22 September 2020

No Data
Malta

1,705

Migration Detainees

380

Migration Detainee Entries

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ABOUT

The Hal Far immigration Reception Centre opened in 2020 to serve as an "initial' reception site for boat arrivals. According to the Aditus Foundation, it is "used mainly to detain newly arrived asylum seekers under quarantine until they are medically cleared by the Health Authorities." The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) reported in 2020 that 'living conditions [at Hal Far] may well amount to inhuman and degrading treatment contrary to Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights."Comprised of "three zones (A, B and C) in a two-storey building, the CPT found that dormitories in Zones A and C measured 21m2 each and were equipped with six sets of bunk beds (i.e. 12 beds); dormitories of such a size should not accommodate more than five persons. Not all of the rooms had access to adequate natural light and sufficient artificial lighting and ventilation Some of the bathrooms had no doors and, at the time of the delegation’s visit, some of the showers and wash basins were blocked in Zones C and B and flooded the bathroom floors when used, which had allegedly caused some migrants to slip and injure themselves. ... There was no regime of activities in China House. Many of the detained migrants underlined that they had no access any purposeful activities, no television, no access to the telephone, and were not offered access to the single exercise yard. Migrants spent 24 hours per day locked on their units with nothing to structure their days for months on end."

NEWS & TESTIMONY
2020

“The Ħal Far Initial Reception Centre (HIRC), commonly referred to as ‘China House’, reopened in March 2020 in order to cope with the large number of migrant arrivals and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is located in Ħ [...]

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FACILITY NAMES
Ħal Far Immigration Reception Centre (Hal Far / "China House")

Alternative Names: China House

Location

Country: Malta

City & Region: Ħal Far, Europe

Latitude, Longitude: 35.82203456123442, 14.501308409568482

MANAGEMENT & BUDGET

Center Status
Status
Year
In use
2023
In use
2020
Closed/ceased migrant detention
2016
In use
1995
Facility type
Category
Type
Year
Administrative
Secure reception centre
1995
National typology
Official Typology
Year
Initial Reception Centre
Management
Management
Type
Year
Detention Services
Governmental
2023
Operating Period
Year of entry
Year ceased
2020

DETAINEES

Demographics

Adult men

2023
Categories of detainees

Asylum seekers (administrative)

2023

Undocumented migrants (administrative)

2023

Undocumented migrants (administrative)

1995
At-Risk Populations

Asylum seekers

2023

SIZE & POPULATION

Capacity (specialised migration-related facility)

Type Standard capacity

Capacity 350

2023

Type Standard capacity

Capacity 243

2020
Reported Single-Day Migration Detainee Population at Facility (day)
Number
Date
188
22 September 2020

LENGTH OF DETENTION

OUTCOMES

CONDITIONS

CARCERAL INDICATORS

External Security Regime

Secure

1995

STAFF

Specially Trained

No

2023

SEGREGATION

CELLS

Detainees Per Cell

5

2020

COMMUNAL SPACE & ACTIVITIES

Outdoor Space

No

2020
Activities/Education for Children

No

2020

HEALTH

Nurse on Duty

At least once a week

2020

MONITORING & ACCESS

Lawyer Access

Infrequently

2023
Monitors & Civil Society Access
Access?
Type of Institution
Obsv. Date
Yes
National Preventive Mechanism under OPCAT
2023
No
National non-governmental groups
2023
No
National non-governmental groups
2022
Family Access

Infrequently

2023

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Access to Telephones

Limited

2023

No

2020
Free Outgoing Local Calls

Limited

2023

NEWS & TESTIMONY

2020

“The Ħal Far Initial Reception Centre (HIRC), commonly referred to as ‘China House’, reopened in March 2020 in order to cope with the large number of migrant arrivals and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is located in Ħal Far and used mainly to detain newly-arrived asylum-seekers until they are medically cleared by the Health Authorities. In 2023, applicants were kept at China House despite having been medically cleared.”