Illegal migrants escape Malta detention centre

VALLETTA, Mar 6 (Reuters) A group of 60 mostly African illegal immigrants broke out of a detention centre in Malta today and marched to the airport to protest against their detention.

It was the second break-out in as many weeks but the first time migrants managed to reach the airport, where they were rounded up.

Reporters on the scene said the migrants pulled down a wire mesh fence to escape from their detention centre in Safi, close to the airport runway.

They marched for about two miles, watched by a detachment of soldiers and an army helicopter. They were arrested without incident in the airport departure lounge.

Malta insists migrants must be held in detention because their large number may cause problems to the economy. The migrants say they never intended to come to Malta in the first place and want to be allowed to go to Italy.

There are some 1,000 migrants in detention.

REUTERS VJ RAI0115