The children of third-country nationals working in Malta are only deported when irregular methods were used to bring them to the country, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri insisted on Thursday.
He was replying to questions after a court recently upheld a Georgian mother's plea to be able to keep her 7-year-old son in Malta after Identity Malta turned down a family reunification request on the basis that she earns less than what is required in terms of the family reunification policy.
Camilleri said that the government should not encourage people to come to Malta with their family and live in poverty.
He said that deportations only took place when people attempted to migrate to Malta through irregular means.
“No child is deported when migration is through the proper channels, however, those situations (deportation) occur when a person enters Malta through a tourist visa but then expects to stay here,” he said.
Video: Matthew Mirabelli
Court documents show that Khatia Pipia's son arrived in Malta in May 2021.
On May 27 the mother applied for her son to live and attend school in Malta. Two months later Identity Malta denied the request.
The Family reunification policy...
