Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield has defended the arrest of 19 irregular migrants found living in Malta illegally, insisting that while Malta remains a welcoming country, it cannot tolerate breaches of immigration laws.The comments came after police operations in Ħamrun, Qormi and St Paul’s Bay led to the arrest of 19 individuals from Syria, The Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Albania, Ghana, Bangladesh and Mali.All those arrested are currently being held at a detention centre while procedures are carried out for their return to their countries of origin.Reacting to the operation, Bedingfield said Malta remained committed to its obligations in the field of migration.“We are a welcoming country. As a state, we have obligations and we believe in a fair system,” he said.However, he stressed that authorities would continue taking action against people found residing in Malta illegally.“We cannot allow illegal activity. During the night, 19 people were stopped by the Police and Detention Officers because they were in Malta illegally. These individuals will be sent back to their country of origin.”The arrests formed part of ongoing inspections carried out by the Police Force with the assistance of officials from the Detention Services Agency.What do you make of the Minister’s comments?•