Finds immigrants unqualified for protection
A group of 44 Nigerians have been deported from Malta.
The 33 men and 11 women were deported on an Air Malta charter flight to the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos. The operation was carried out after Nigerian authorities sent the necessary travel documents while most of the expenses involved were covered by the European Union.
According to the Maltese Home Affairs Minister, Carm Mifsud Bonnici, the migrants who had all arrived Malta last year, were mainly housed in detention centres.
Bonnici said that their request for asylum was considered invalid and their appeal was not accepted since Nigeria is considered a safe country by Malta.
The flight was co-ordinated between the Home Affairs Ministry and the police as each deportee was escorted by two police officers and a medical team.
According to Bonnici, Malta offers protection to people who deserve it and works to relocate migrants to other countries where they could have a better future. However, those who do not qualify for protection have to be repatriated to their countries of origin.
