Three incidents in the past week in Marsa involving migrants who broke the law emphasise the need for better enforcement, the mayor of the locality said.
Francis Debono said the incidents of antisocial behaviour, which went viral on social media, were nothing new in a locality that has seen a migrant influx as a result of its open centre.
“This country has laws, and they should be obeyed by everyone, Maltese included, which is why we need more enforcement,” Mr Debono said, adding that the police required more resources.
However, the mayor said the State had to understand what drove migrants to break the law disproportionately when compared to the Maltese. Law enforcement had to be accompanied by social outreach, he insisted.
“We have to understand what drives many migrants to binge on alcohol and why some end up sleeping outside. If we do not tackle these difficulties now, we will face an even bigger problem in the future,” Mr Debono said.
In the latest incident, the police had to use force to stop four migrants in a van yesterday after the driver tried to run over two officers when asked to pull over.
With the Labour government committed to closing the Marsa open centre, Mr...
