Two third-country nationals have been repatriated to their countries of origin in North Africa, the police said Monday.

One of the individuals had already served a prison sentence after being convicted in connection with the attempted murder of a man at the Ħal Far Open Centre in 2016. The second individual was convicted of using a falsified passport. Once all necessary legal procedures were exhausted, both were returned to their homelands.

Entry bans prohibiting the individuals from re-entering the Schengen Area have been issued in both cases. These operations bring the total number of persons deported from Malta this year to 19, the police said.

Authorities emphasized that Malta welcomes those who respect its laws, but will not tolerate illegality, criminality, or abuse of the system.