Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has stressed the need for integration following the Hal Far Riots, arguing that he had agreed with this call when a migrant was killed in Hal Far months ago, and still does today.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was asked for his reaction to the Hal Far riot incident, and also about the call for more security by the AWAS personnel.

Muscat referred to the Home Affairs Minister's statements. He said that the workers, the GWU who has the recognition of these workers and the government will meet tomorrow.

He said that a number of issues were also solved whereby the government will make good on the damage caused during the riots.

"The crucial point is that everyone must observe the law." He said that it was good that the police went in to arrest a number of people responsible, "and it is irrelevant if they are foreign or not. If the law was broken there needs to be consequences and in this case the consequences are the course of justice in court. "

"Obviously then there will be those who try to jump on this to sew a sentiment of hatred, a message of us versus them, asking why we don't kick them out or send them back."

"Our country is passing through an unprecedented time, where people who enter Malta are sent to other EU countries, people who don't have the right to protection are being sent back to their countries. When it comes to persons who do not qualify for either we have a duty not to go the populist route, where it would be easy to say we would send them back to, for example Sudan. Many of them are Sudanese, when we know we cannot do this due to international law, with the rule of law."

"What I say one day I won't change when the wind shifts. When a migrant was killed in Hal Far, everyone beat their chests and spoke of the need for integration. I spoke of the need back then and today I won' t change the road because the sentiment is not the same among the people.  Today you need the courage to repeat those words."

 He said however that one can never tolerate any excuse to break everything, and so the persons identified will be taken to court.