VALLETTA, Malta — A targeted, early-morning enforcement operation led by the Malta Police Force and the Detention Services Agency has resulted in the apprehension of 34 foreign nationals found living and working in the country in breach of the Immigration Act.

The sweep, which took place on Friday morning, June 19, 2026, marks the latest escalation in a series of highly publicized immigration crackdowns implemented by the newly appointed administration.

Unlike typical residential raids, authorities focused this specific operation on major transit arteries and public gathering spaces. Teams of officers conducted surprise, coordinated inspections on public buses and within heavily trafficked public areas in the localities of Blata l-Bajda and Rabat.

According to official police statements, the 34 individuals detained span several nationalities, including citizens from Nigeria, India, Ghana, Gambia, Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire. All those arrested were transferred to a secure detention facility under the supervision of the Detention Services Agency. They will remain there while state officials initiate legal procedures to facilitate their deportation back to their home countries or to alternate territories where they hold valid residence permits.

Additionally, immigration officials announced that two men from an unnamed East African country were recently deported and slapped with strict re-entry bans barring them from accessing the European Schengen Area.

The Friday morning operation signals an aggressive pivot under Malta’s newly appointed Home Affairs Minister, Glenn Bedingfield, who assumed office following the May 30 general election. Over the past few weeks, local authorities have significantly accelerated the frequency of these sweeps. Similar overnight and daytime raids in areas like Ħamrun, Qormi, Marsa, and St. Paul's Bay have collectively seen dozens of undocumented individuals swept into the detention system within a matter of days.

The Ministry of Interior has maintained that these enforcement actions are vital for targeting "abuses of legal provisions and illegal employment," vowing that the crackdowns will continue persistently over the coming weeks.

While the government champions the raids as a triumph of domestic security, human rights organizations have fiercely condemned the strategy. Groups such as the Aditus Foundation and the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Malta have voiced sharp criticisms, accusing the state of treating vulnerable migrants like "trophies" by publicizing photos of handcuffed detainees. Advocates argue these operations serve as political theater aimed at distracting from the deeper paradox of Malta’s economic model, which relies heavily on third-country nationals who make up nearly 39% of the local workforce.

With deportation numbers climbing sharply since 2024, NGOs warn that tying legal status strictly to single employers creates a rigid environment where migrant workers face high risks of exploitation, while predatory employers face minimal pushback. For now, the Maltese government shows no intention of slowing down its hard-line approach, promising that further street and workplace inspections are already on the horizon.