Cardinal Renato Raffaelo Martino challenged the government's immigrant detention policy, saying he could not understand the logic behind it.

The Cardinal, who is the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, made a case for the Church to speak out on these matters and not just have the religious orders taking an initiative, The Sunday Times of Malta reported.

Cardinal Martino said that detention centres are supposed to be for criminals and he questioned how can the quest of these people who are trying to find better be defined as a crime.

The Sunday Times continued reporting Cardinal Martino saying: "Of course Malta is not the only country employing such a policy," he pointed out. " In Italy - where I come from - there are the centri di permanenza temporanea (temporary accommodation centres), which are meant to hold immigrants for 60 days but end up detaining people for up to two years."

The Cardinal, on a three-day visit in Malta , delivered a few lectures but also found time to tour the Marsa open centre on Friday. Cardinal Martino said Europe needed to respond to this situation not only with short-term policy but also to deal with the root of the problem.

The Cardinal also met President Edward Fenech Adami and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.