Inhumane
Some 120 migrants were found to be living in “inhumane” conditions in what is supposed to be a farm in Mriehel. The premises were sealed off by the Planning Authority and the Police. Photo: Albert Galea
Around 120 migrants were being housed on what was meant to be a farm in Mriehel.
The operation was yesterday shut down by the Planning Authority and the Police.
The site in Mriehel however, was being used to illegally house migrants. The migrants told the PA official that they are in Malta legally, and thus they are responsible for finding new homes themselves. Sources told The Malta Independent that the migrants were each paying €200 per room per month, and that the owner was making €10,000 per month from this income.
Around 80 of the migrants managed to find alternative accommodation but the rest were still looking for a place to stay.
The farm in Sqaq Awżara limits of Qormi was turned into makeshift residences to cater for foreign workers seeking cheap accommodation facilities on the Island, the PA said, describing the conditions as “inhumane.”
The stables on site were divided up into dormitories, some housing as many as 20 beds. Most of the migrants, this newsroom was told on site, came from Italy.
The Planning Authority and the police secured the property, and cut the water and electricity supply.
The owner of the site was not present during this ongoing operation.
In a statement the PA said it had sealed off all the existing structures on the farm which were illegally converted into small accommodation facilities. The Authority found that all the rooms had no basic facilities or privacy and were significantly overcrowded.
“The shower and lavatory facilities were a health hazard for those making use of them.”
The PA’s officers will monitor the site to ensure that the use of the farm remains according to its permitted use, the authority said.