31 people were arrested by police in Gozo after they were found to be living in the country illegally, the force said in a statement on Friday.

Police said that inspections where carried out on the sister island in conjunction with officials from the detention services agency.

The people held in custody hail from Africa, Asia, and Europe, the police said.  They are being held at a detention centre until they can be returned to their home country or the last country that they legally resided in.

The police said that it will continue to carry out inspections together with the competent authorities around the country to address irregular immigration, abuse of work laws, and the exploitation of these people.