Expectant father will miss birth of his child if deported, court told

The authorities are to decide whether or not to deport a Serbian father-to-be who discovered he was subject to a removal order whilst renewing his ID card.

Ivan Ruzic, 36, was arrested after Identity Malta officials informed the police that he was supposed to be deported when he went to renew his ID card. The removal order was imposed by a court on 18 April 2017, after Ruzic had been convicted of working without a permit.

He was arraigned before magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech this morning by Inspector Darren Buhagiar, charged with having failed to obtain written permission to remain in Malta following a removal order.

Lawyers Shazoo Ghaznavi and Mario Calleja explained that the accused had come to live in Malta a year ago and had a young son. Complicating matters is the fact that Ruzic’s wife is in the final stages of pregnancy. Were he to plead guilty and be removed from the island, his wife would not be allowed to follow due to her pregnancy and would effectively be separated from him for the birth of their child. The man’s concerned wife followed proceedings from the back of the courtroom.

Ruzic pleaded not guilty and was granted bail against a deposit of €1,500 and ordered to observe a curfew.