In total, 48 from the original group – representing nearly three-quarters – were returned home in less than three weeks.
Rescue operation underway for migrants in Malta SAR Zone in 2022 (Image: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Malta has pulled off one of its fastest-ever repatriation operations, repatriating 44 irregular migrants to their country of origin just 17 days after their dramatic rescue at sea. The Government has presented the swift action as a model of efficiency and a powerful deterrent to people-smuggling networks operating across the Mediterranean.
The incident began on December 12, 2025, when the armed forces of Malta responded to a distress call and rescued 61 individuals after their overcrowded boat capsized in Malta’s search-and-rescue zone—a central Mediterranean route known as the world’s deadliest. Tragically, one person died during the rescue, and several survivors required urgent hospital treatment upon being landed at Bugibba, a coastal area north of the capital Valletta.
Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri (Image: Getty)
The migrants were promptly transferred to detention facilities where identification and processing procedures commenced without delay. A small group of four was repatriated in the days that followed, and then, on the night of December 28-29, the larger contingent of 44 was escorted by police onto repatriation flights. In total, 48 from the original group – representing nearly three-quarters – were returned home in less than three weeks, a timeline officials described as “exceptional”.
Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri personally attended pre-flight preparations at the Ħal Safi Detention Centre, where he expressed gratitude to the teams involved. He praised the seamless coordination among the police force, his ministry, and foreign affairs officials, framing the operation as a clear demonstration of Malta’s longstanding “firm and fair” migration policy.
This approach, he explained, ensures protection for those who genuinely qualify for refugee status while enabling the rapid return of individuals without legitimate claims, reported etias.com
Camilleri emphasised that the speed of the repatriations delivered “a strong message to human traffickers that their criminal model is being attacked”. By removing the prospect of successful irregular entry, such actions erode the financial viability of perilous sea journeys, thereby deterring future attempts and contributing to fewer lives lost at sea.
Broader statistics support the Government’s narrative: irregular migrant arrivals have decreased by 93% over the past five years, declining from over 2,000 in 2020 to fewer than 200 in 2024. This particular operation, officials noted, pushes the repatriation rate for all irregular arrivals in 2025 to 81%. EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner also commended the effort, labelling it a “strong message” to smugglers facilitated by existing EU readmission mechanisms.
Details remain guarded: authorities have withheld the destination country for operational security, and no information has been released on the remaining 13 survivors, who may still be pursuing asylum.
In sharp contrast, the United Kingdom experienced 41,472 small-boat crossings of the English Channel throughout 2025 – marking the second-highest yearly total ever recorded, a 13% rise from the prior year. Amid ongoing political commitments to “stop the boats”, enforced returns continue to represent only a modest portion of overall arrivals.
Malta’s remarkably compressed processing and repatriation framework provides a poignant illustration of the varying outcomes in handling irregular migration at Europe’s external borders.
