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2 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 1 JULY 2026 NEWS Satellite image shows red hot Mediterranean Sea SEA surface temperature peaked at 6°C above average in the west- ern Mediterranean Sea on Mon- day, satellite imagery published by Copernicus Marine Service shows. The EU satellite service said in a release on Tuesday that after the marine heatwave of the end of May 2026, intense tempera- tures which affected western and central Europe during late June caused further warming of the surrounding seas. The data visualisation (photo above) shows sea surface tem- perature anomalies on 29 June 2026. The red and dark red tones show areas where sea surface temperatures above the long- term average were recorded. "The largest anomalies reached approximately 6°C in the west- ern Mediterranean Sea, particu- larly in the Gulf of Lion off the coast of southern France, and in the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas along the western coast of Italy," the agency said. Sea surface temperature anom- alies also increased markedly in the southern North Sea and the Baltic Sea compared with late May. The Copernicus Marine Ser- vice data help track the devel- opment of marine heatwaves, support the assessment of ocean conditions, and the monitoring of potential risks to marine eco- systems globally. The latest EU data confirms the findings by MCAST Profes- sor Aldo Drago, who forecast sea temperatures around Mal- ta would reach 28°C over the Mnarja weekend. The unusual- ly warm swimming conditions were evident on Monday and expected to persist at least today. Drago noted that the warmest waters would stretch from Mell- ieħa Bay to Bengħajsa Reef near Birżebbuġa by early afternoon on Mnarja Day (29 june), while slightly cooler temperatures were expected in the waters south of Gozo. KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt People swimming at St George's Bay in Paceville (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 According to the document, this lack of a functioning identification structure means that while the 2021 census re- corded 171 stateless people, this figure is likely a big un- derestimate. Evidence from civil society and social service providers suggests there are likely hundreds of stateless persons in Malta, the majority of whom are children. The report attributes the prevalence of statelessness to legal and administrative gaps rather than legislation. Chil- dren born in Malta to foreign parents do not automatically acquire Maltese citizenship. While such children may the- oretically inherit their par- ents' nationality, the report notes this is often impossible in practice due to factors such as war, persecution, or gen- der-discriminatory laws in the parents' countries of origin. The document describes the practical impact of stateless- ness on children as a condi- tion of legal insecurity and marginalisation. It states that these children face adminis- trative barriers to education, including delays in enroll- ment and restrictions on par- ticipating in school trips or certifications that require for- mal documentation. Access to healthcare and so- cial services is also described as inconsistent, as entitlement is often tied to recognised le- gal residence or national in- surance contributions. The authors argue that the cumulative effect of these ob- stacles includes chronic stress and a fractured sense of iden- tity for children who have grown up entirely within Mal- tese society. The white paper propos- es a framework of legislative and administrative reforms including the establishment of a dedicated statelessness authority within the Inter- national Protection Agency (IPA) and the introduction of a formal Statelessness Deter- mination Procedure. The report also suggests that Malta should accede to the 1961 Convention on the Re- duction of Statelessness and remove its existing reserva- tions to the 1954 Convention. Further proposed measures involve reforming the Maltese Citizenship Act to facilitate the naturalisation of state- less persons and reducing the absolute discretion current- ly granted to the minister in such decisions. Stateless children face administrative barriers to education, including delays in enrollment