Two third-country nationals have been deported from Malta and returned to their countries of origin in North Africa following separate criminal convictions, the Malta Police Force has announced.One of the men had already served a prison sentence after being found guilty of the attempted murder of a man at the Ħal Far Open Centre in 2016.The second individual was convicted of using a forged passport before also being returned to his country of origin after all the necessary legal procedures were completed.In both cases, the individuals have been issued with Schengen entry bans, preventing them from re-entering the Schengen Area.The Police said the two operations bring the total number of people deported from Malta so far this year to 19.In a statement, the authorities said the message is clear: Malta welcomes those who respect its laws, but will not tolerate illegality, criminality or abuse of the system.•