Afghan Journalist ‘Shocked’ As Malta Denies Her Entry Due To Passport Issues
Zahra Joya, the UK-based editor-in-chief of a media platform focused on the stories of Afghan women, expressed her shock after being denied entry to Malta.
Joya, who set up Rukhsana Media, was recently invited by a NGO to address a conference related to Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs actively participated in this conference and facilitated the visa process of several of its participants.
Joya said that she has a special passport which contains a valid Schengen visa and that she departed from Heathrow Airport to Malta without any issues.
1/3 I was recently invited by the Minister @MFTMalta to attend a two-day conference about Afghanistan. I am from Afghanistan , and I have a special passport which contains a valid Schengen visa. Yesterday, I departed from Heathrow Airport without any issues. pic.twitter.com/40FGm17Nnt
— Zahra Joya (@ZahraJoya) January 23, 2025
“When I arrived at Malta Airport, I was denied entry,” she said.
“The Malta police rushed me onto another flight and forced me to return to London within minutes.”
“I was shocked. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malta was organizing a program to discuss the situation of Afghan women, yet their border officers refused entry to someone who is both a woman and a journalist.”
“Considering Maltese female journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was brutally killed in 2017, this incident has left me confounded.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg
A spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Ministry told Lovin Malta that an NGO approached them to provide consular assistance for a conference held last week.
However, Joya was not included in the list of participants that required consular assistance.
“After she boarded her flight to Malta, the Ministry was informed that she was travelling with an unrecognised passport that does not allow entry to Malta and needed assistance,” they said.
“A list of all travel documents recognised by EU member states is available online.”
“The Ministry immediately contacted the respective authorities to facilitate her participation in the conference.”
“Within a few hours a solution was identified but by this time, in line with applicable regulations, Ms Zahra Joya was already on her way back to the UK.”
“The Foreign Ministry also actively participated in the conference, which was addressed by a Ministry official.”
Photos: Zahra Joya (X)
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