Since 2010, there have been 5892 missing persons reports but of those only 6 percent are still missing. The majority of those still missing, over 76 percent, are foreign with the police noting that the vast majority are boat people.

The police explained that many of these people would have left the islands to some other country but unless the Malta Police Force receives official confirmation from that country that the alleged missing persons are alive and well, they will remain marked as missing.

 

 

The Malta Police Force also told The Malta Independent that in 2019, until July 15, there have been 373 missing persons reports, of which 72 are still missing. Apart from 2019, the year with the highest missing persons that remain not found is 2013, with 63 people still missing.

When separating the number of men and women that are still missing since 2010, the number of men exceeds that of women. However, apart from 2010 whereby 19 women are still missing, the number of women still missing seems to be generally on the increase.

Of the people still missing, the largest proportion are under the age of 18. When asked about this, the police noted that “it is easier for relatives, individuals and institutions entrusted with temporary care and custody of minors to report missing minors than adults since with adults one assumes that they may need time on their own or else no one would be overly concerned that one has not been seen or communicated with family for a couple of days or even weeks.”