Labour MP Jean Claude Micallef urged the police to take action against people who terminate their pregnancies abroad just as they would in Malta, where abortion is criminalised.

“How are the police handling those involved in these crimes in our country and beyond?” he wrote.

Micallef has since raised the issue in Parliament.

“I have entered politics to pass laws that defend the most vulnerable and who are more vulnerable than unborn children?” he said. 

Meanwhile, MEP Alfred Sant confirmed that he is pro-choice leaning, and warned that politicians are aware of scenarios where abortion is justified but won’t say so publicly. He said the legalisation of abortion in Malta is inevitable. 

In a clear response to Sant’s statement, Micallef said that for him, the protection of the unborn child is inevitable.

At least 58 women in Malta terminated their pregnancies in the UK last year. The true figure is larger, with some seeking the procedure in other European countries like Italy, France, Germany and Spain.