Three people deported after serving prison terms for aggressive begging and vagrancy

The police have deported three foreign nationals who had been imprisoned in Malta for offences linked to aggressive begging and vagrancy, following a series of coordinated operations targeting irregular migration.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Police Immigration Section said the three individuals were removed from Malta in separate return operations after completing effective prison sentences. The men had been found guilty of living a life of vagrancy and begging aggressively in different parts of the country.

All three were held in a detention centre after serving their sentences, before being returned to their countries of origin located in North Africa, West Africa, and Eastern Europe.

The deportations followed an earlier enforcement operation in Burmarrad, during which 19 people were arrested on public transport vehicles after being found to be in Malta irregularly.

The police said they will continue working to identify, arrest, and repatriate people residing in the country without legal status.

“This work is being carried out through the dedicated efforts of the police force, supported by other entities including the Detention Services Agency, Identità, and Jobsplus,” the statement said.