Following the launch of the AMBER Alert system in Malta towards the beginning of January, Malta International Airport was one of the organisations that stepped forward to support the initiative, which is aimed at locating and saving the lives of missing children through improved cross-border cooperation.

What is AMBER Alert Europe?

Launched in 2013, AMBER Alert Europe is an international non-profit organisation that brings together 25 members (law enforcement, ministries & NGOs) from 17 countries. Moreover, its police network benefits from the expertise of over 40 professionals representing law enforcement from 14 EU countries.

In its setting up, AMBER Alert Europe drew upon the lessons learnt from the already established AMBER Alert Netherlands and set for itself the following two goals:

• To be a life-saving factor in abductions or disappearances of missing children or other vulnerable people throughout Europe;
• To undertake any further actions necessary related to achieving or advancing the above-mentioned goal, in the broadest sense.

When is an AMBER Alert raised and who raises it?

AMBER Alert Europe only acts upon information passed on to it by official law enforcement sources and other police-mandated organisations.

An AMBER alert can be issued after a thorough evaluation of a particular case reveals that it is highly likely that a child’s health or life are in imminent danger and is cancelled once the child is found safe and sound or after one month from a child’s disappearance. Moreover, each member country has its own criteria for raising an AMBER Alert.

In Malta, the Police Force is responsible for raising an alert.

How do I know an AMBER alert has been raised?

So that everyone is on the lookout for a missing child, AMBER Alerts are put up on a number of platforms that are easily visible and accessible to the public. These include bill boards, advertising screens, social media platforms, radio, websites and apps, with each member country selecting its own tools for dissemination of an alert. A profile of the missing child would also appear on www.amberalert.eu.