Woman who travelled to Europe seeking refuge given a suspended sentence over a fake passport

A 38-year-old woman from a Middle Eastern country who told police she travelled to Europe seeking refuge was handed a nine-month prison sentence suspended for two years after admitting to using a forged passport to enter Malta.

The woman arrived in Malta from Istanbul on 4 June and was stopped by immigration authorities after presenting a false travel document.

During police investigations, she admitted that she had purchased the forged passport for €7,000. She explained that she had desperately resorted to using the document because she was seeking refuge in Europe due to the situation in her country.

She was charged with knowingly possessing and using a forged passport, making use of a forged document, and possessing a forged document without lawful authority.

The accused immediately pleaded guilty to the charges.

After considering her admission of guilt and the circumstances of the case, the court sentenced her to nine months' imprisonment, suspended for two years. A publication ban was placed on the accused's name. The court also ordered her to pay any applicable expenses related to the proceedings.

Legal aid lawyer Rachel Tua appeared for the woman, while Inspector Christian Abela prosecuted. Magistrate Nadia Helena Vella presided over the sitting.