You can read along
Maltese.
A protected forest area in Malta has become the focus of a dispute after individuals allegedly fenced off a large area for private use, defying orders from environmental authorities and police.
The Malta Ranger Unit, a non-governmental conservation organization, reported that a group of squatters have cordoned off part of the Dwejra Lines, a popular public area in Rabat, with fences and gates.
The group first reported the camp to the Environment and Resources Agency (ERA) in early November, noting that fences and wires had been installed on protected pine trees.
Although the area is not a Natura 2000 protected area and camping is not expressly prohibited, national forest protection regulations still apply. After the initial report, the ERA told residents that they must remove the material from the trees and respect public space.
Instead, the Rangers said, the squatters escalated the situation by driving stakes into the ground and fencing off an even larger area. A month later, the Rangers said they had to contact the ERA again because the people had installed surveillance cameras in the trees and maintained the fence.
The Rabat municipal council has now asked the police commissioner for assistance in evicting people from the site.
During a joint patrol with the Rangers, a police sergeant from the Rabat Force told the squatter that the situation was unacceptable. Despite this, the ranger unit reports that the individual remains on site and is blocking public access.
“In our many years of operation, we have never experienced such blatant abuse of a popular public space, cordoned off by a few individuals for their sole enjoyment,” the Malta Ranger Unit said. They sent a message to Environment, Energy and Enterprise Minister Miriam Dalli urging a quick solution, saying such abuse on state-owned land “should NOT be accepted and combated collectively by all authorities.”
The case highlights ongoing tensions over the use of public land in Malta and tests the enforcement of environmental regulations. Authorities have not yet publicly commented on a timeline for resolving the standoff.
