Whilst Malta continues to face serious challenges in receiving relatively large numbers of asylum-seekers, this does not absolve the authorities of their international human rights obligations, the Malta Refugee Council said.

It was echoing a statement made in the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), which was published earlier this week.

The council endorsed the report, particularly where it stated that Malta’s detention regime verges on “institutional mass neglect by the authorities," with sub-standard living conditions exacerbating a disregard for international norms on the detention of persons.

The council said the report is a clear confirmation of the concerns repeatedly flagged by several of its members.  

It also echoed the report’s appeal to the European Union and the Council of Europe to provide a consolidated approach to address Malta’s situation.

“Within this context, we are keen to note the positive developments brought about by the new Detention Services Director. We hope these developments are merely the first steps of a major overhaul of the situation in the centres. It is in this spirit that we invite the authorities to engage with us in a discussion centred on a reform of Malta’s detention regime. Together with the urgent recommendations made by the Committee, we are particularly eager to explore more humane and dignified alternatives to the current regime while ensuring full compliance with Malta’s international and European human rights commitments. Alternatives do exist,” the council said.