Immigration Police have taken 120 people to court over the carrying false documentation, out of which 90 were sentenced to imprisonment, with sentences varying between a month and two years.
In a statement on Friday, the police said that during the past few months the immigration police have continued with its work ranging from inspections in villages, to checking airports and carrying out the important role of relocation and return.
Between 2 August 2020 and 5 September 2020, the Immigration Police have investigated several cases of people intercepted with false documents both at the Malta International Airport and at the Grand Harbour.
During this period, the police investigated and took 120 people to Court due to false documentation. 90 were sentenced to imprisonment, with sentences varying from a month to two years.
The statement highlighted that some of their sentences were suspended, and others were issued with an order to return back to their country after being caught working without permission, without money to support them or with an expired visa.
The majority of individuals were from Sudan, whilst others came from other Asian countries, or Eastern European countries such as Macedonia, Serbia, Russia, Bosnia Herzegovina, and Albanian, while there were also cases from Brazil.
“Another growing phenomenon is that of immigrants hiding in containers before they board a ship, the so-called “stowaways,” explained Assistant Commissioner Neville Xuereb, who runs the Immigration Police.
“In this area, the Immigration Police work together with Transport Malta and the Security Officers of the Port Facility, in order to find and take proceedings against them. Any breach of immigration law is taken very seriously and in most cases the penalties involve considerable prison sentences.”
600 people with false documents intercepted at different borders across the EU
Delving into the use of false documentation, the Police statement highlighted that this is not just a local issue, but an issue found amongst other police officials throughout the European Union.
The use of false documentation has not decreased; rather in the past few weeks, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the police have noted that the use of false documents has increased alarmingly.
In a message from the European Agency Frontex, in just two weeks the Agency intercepted around 600 false documents at borders across Europe. This reflects what is happening in Malta as the Maltese Police of the Immigration Section noted a large increase in people caught using false documents.
The Immigration Police is assisting with on-going inspections in different towns across Malta.
The police highlighted that it is crucial to identify individuals with out-dated documents or even those who have no right to live in Malta. The police stated that the procedures for sending individuals back to their country are complex but are at the top of the agenda of the Police Force which wants to ensure the protection of the law by all.