Julia Farrugia
The chairman of the Board of Visitors for detained migrants, Herbert Agius, has stepped down from his position citing health reasons.
Government has been informed of his resignation since the 23 October, but has so far kept it under wraps.
The board of visitors for detained persons, constituted in October 2007, acts as Malta’s national body for the prevention of torture.
In his letter, Agius said that the “environment and circumstances under which one has to perform this job are having a negative effect on [his] health.”
Agius told MaltaToday that there were still many issues that had to be address in detention centres, although he did not single out anything in particular.
“During the past year as I carried my duties in this board I pointed out these issues to the government. Some were changed, others no,” Agius said.
Agius however said he was not at all happy with the current environment in the detention centres. “There are many conditions that need to be changed.”
The Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs said it had accepted Agius’s resignation in the light of the reasons cited in his resignation letter.
The board of visitors is responsible for the monthly inspection of detention centres, apart from surprise inspections. The board allows detainees to make complaints with regard to their treatment in detention centres while enjoying confidentiality. Complaints must be dealt with “without undue delay”.
The board also inspects food at the detention centres and reports on cases of abuse or urgent physical or mental health matters. It also monitors the detention centres’ disciplinary system and informs the minister of its findings, and has the authority to attend disciplinary hearings of detainees.
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