The police, assisted by officials from the Agency for Detention Services, detained 34 people on Friday morning during targeted inspections aimed at identifying irregular migration and illegal employment in Malta.

The police said that the coordinated operations were carried out on public transport as well as in public spaces in Blata l-Bajda and Rabat. The individuals detained were found to be residing in the country in breach of the Immigration Act, and included nationals from Nigeria, India, Ghana, The Gambia, Senegal, and Ivory Coast.

Authorities confirmed that all 34 individuals are currently being held in a detention centre while procedures are underway to either return them to their countries of origin or transfer them to other jurisdictions where they hold valid residence permits.

The operation forms part of ongoing enforcement action targeting breaches of immigration law, abuse of legal frameworks, and illegal employment practices. Officials indicated that similar inspections are expected to continue in the coming days and weeks.

In a separate development, two men who had been living irregularly in Malta were recently returned to their country of origin in East Africa. The Principal Immigration Officer issued Return and Removal Orders against the individuals, alongside a Schengen-wide entry ban preventing them from re-entering the Schengen Area.

The two men were also held in detention under the supervision of the Agency for Detention Services until the completion of their repatriation process.