Twelve migrants who escaped from a detention centre at Ħal Safi on Monday have been arraigned in court. 

Abdel Hamid Al Banagesh, Fadli Nord, Yassin Noubeai, Mohsem Shaoob, Fakawi Abdigani, Imad Tibibouche, Slimane Derhani, Abubi Sadir, Salah Cheba, Hamza Faraqe, Borgi Nourdine, Mohamed Arabi appeared in court before magistrate Neville Camilleri on Tuesday morning.

Inspector Trevor Micallef charged the men, whose ages range from 18 to 24, with escaping from lawful custody.

The accused are part of a larger group of migrants, mostly from Morocco, who escaped from the Safi detention centre on Monday morning. The Detention Services said in a statement that the migrants included 19 Moroccans and one Egyptian. They are believed to have arrived in Malta only recently.

Lawyer Joe Brincat, legal aid, entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of the men, who were remanded in custody.

It was reported on Tuesday morning that four escaped migrants had been found hiding among other Moroccan nationals at the Marsa open centre.