World Refugee Day: 20 June 2025
- In 2024, excluding temporary protection, the International Protection Agency received 701 first and repeat applications for asylum – a decrease of 17.9 per cent over the previous year.
- In 2024, the IPA granted protection to 229 applicants, while 298 were rejected.
- At the end of 2024, there were 1,497 asylum applications pending a decision, a decrease of 24.4 per cent compared to the previous year.
- At the end of 2024, 2,221 persons were beneficiaries of temporary protection in Malta.
- At the end of 2024, there were a total of 193 persons residing in open centres, a decrease of 13.1 per cent compared to the previous year.
World Refugee Day: 20 June 2025
World Refugee Day: 20 June 2025
Boat arrivals and applications for international protection
In 2024, 6 boat landings were recorded in Malta, with 238 individuals arriving on its shores, including those airlifted at sea – representing a 37.4 per cent decrease compared to 2023 (Table 1, Chart 1). The majority of arrivals were citizens of Asian countries (80.7 per cent), while 19.3 per cent originated from African countries (Table 2). December saw the highest number of persons brought to shore, with 83 individuals reaching Malta (Table 3).
Chart 1. Boat landings in Malta with irregular immigrants
Note: Figures refer to number of boat landings that may also include landings involving more than one boat. These figures may also include persons airlifted and evacuated.
Source: Police General Headquarters – Immigration Section.
In 2024, 701 asylum applications were submitted, excluding requests for temporary protection and reviews of prior positive decisions by the International Protection Agency (IPA) – reflecting a 17.9 per cent decrease compared to the previous year (Table 4).
Among EU Member States, Malta ranked fourteenth in asylum applications per million residents. Cyprus recorded the highest number of applications per capita, while Hungary had the lowest (Map 1, Table 5).
Map 1. Total asylum applications (first and repeated) by EU reporting countries: 2024
Note: Excludes applications for temporary protection. Data disseminated by Eurostat is rounded to the nearest 5.
Source: Eurostat online database, applications [migr_asyappctza] extracted on 06.06.2025 and population [demo_pjan] extracted on 03.06.2025.
In 2024, persons of Asian citizenship accounted for 43.8 per cent of all asylum applicants. When considering individual countries of citizenship, Syrian applicants made up 31.2 per cent of the total. More than half of the applicants were aged between 18 and 34 – accounting for 59.3 per cent of applicants (Table 6).
Decisions on applications for international protection and appeals
In 2024, the IPA issued 229 first-instance decisions granting asylum protection, excluding temporary protection cases. Meanwhile, 298 applications were rejected (Table 7). Among EU Member States, Malta ranked tenth lowest in terms of asylum approval rates. Estonia recorded the highest share of positive first-instance decisions at 95.7 per cent (Chart 2). In 2024, 64.6 per cent of individuals granted first-instance protection were Syrian nationals (Table 8).
Chart 2. First instance decision outcomes by EU reporting countries
2024
No Data Found
Notes:
1. Excludes decisions granting temporary protection. Data disseminated by Eurostat is rounded to the nearest 5. Data for Portugal notes a break in series.
2. Totals may not add up due to rounding.
Source: Eurostat online database table [migr_asydcfsta] – extracted on 03.06.2025.
A total of 392 appeals against first-instance decisions were submitted to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT), reflecting a 46.0 per cent decline compared to the previous year (Table 9). The tribunal processed 388 appeals, with 91.8 per cent (356 cases) resulting in rejection (Table 10).
Among EU Member States, Malta recorded the twelfth lowest positivity rate for final-instance appeal decisions. Portugal, Cyprus, Poland, Luxembourg and Slovenia rejected over 98.0 per cent of the appeals processed. Bulgaria, Slovakia and Italy reported having positively decided over 75.0 per cent of the appeals processed (Chart 3).
Chart 3. Final instance decisions by EU reporting countries
2024
No Data Found
Note: Hungary reported a total of 0 final instance decisions on appeal. Data disseminated by Eurostat is rounded to the nearest 5.
Source: Eurostat online database table [migr_asydcfina] – extracted on 03.06.25.
At the end of 2024, 1,497 asylum applications were awaiting either a first-instance or final decision, marking a 24.4 per cent decrease compared to the previous year. Of these, 591 cases were pending an initial ruling from the International Protection Agency, while 906 were awaiting a final decision on appeals before the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (Table 11; Chart 4). Among those awaiting a decision, 16.0 per cent were Syrian nationals, 11.7 per cent were Libyan nationals and 11.4 per cent were nationals of Sudan (Table 12).
Chart 4. Total asylum pending decisions as at end of year
No Data Found
Note: The International Protection Agency’s (IPA) premises was closed between 13 March 2020 and 17 May 2020 due to the COVID-19 lockdown. However, IPA was still receiving appointment requests to lodge an application.
Source: International Protection Agency (IPA), International Protection Appeals Tribunal.
Temporary protection
The European Council activated the Temporary Protection Directive (2001/55/EC) in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since 2022. This Directive enables EU Member States to provide immediate and temporary protection to residents fleeing conflict. Across the EU, approximately 780,320 temporary protection decisions were issued in 2024. Germany accounted for the largest share (29.4 per cent), followed by Poland (21.2 per cent). When measured per million residents, Czechia ranked highest, while France had the lowest number of temporary protection grants (Table 13). At the end of 2024, approximately 4.3 million individuals across the EU were under temporary protection (Table 15, Map 2).
As of December 2024, Malta had 2,221 persons benefiting from temporary protection, with 99.3 per cent being Ukrainian nationals. The majority of beneficiaries were female (68.2 per cent), and 25.6 per cent were minors aged 0-17 (Table 14).
Map 2. Beneficiaries of temporary protection by EU reporting country as at end December 2024
Note: Data disseminated by Eurostat is rounded to the nearest 5.
Source: Eurostat online database, applications [migr_asytpsm] and population [demo_pjan] – extracted on 03.06.2025
Open centres and resettlement, return and relocation programmes
By the end of 2024, 193 individuals were residing in open centres – a 13.1 per cent decrease compared to the previous year. The vast majority (90.7 per cent) were housed in Ħal Far (Table 16), with male residents making up 81.9 per cent of the population residing in open centres (Table 17). Sudanese citizens accounted for the largest share (14.5 per cent), followed by Somali nationals (12.4 per cent) (Table 18).
Throughout the year under review, 60 persons were relocated from Malta to another EU+ country, while 54 were resettled outside of the EU+ States. Additionally, 35 persons returned to their country of origin through Assisted Voluntary Return programmes (Table 19; Chart 5).
Chart 5. Persons benefitting from resettlements, assisted voluntary return (AVR) programmes and relocation measures
No Data Found
Note: Persons benefitting from resettlement programmes to States outside of the EU+. Persons benefitting from relocation measures to EU+ States.
Source: Migration Directorate, Ministry for Home Affairs, Security and Employment.
Tables
Tables
Methodological Notes
1. This news release makes reference to various sources available to the NSO, including:
● The International Protection Agency (IPA): Data related to applications for asylum and asylum first decisions in Malta (previously known as The Office of the Refugee Commissioner).
● The International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT): Data related to appeals of asylum decisions and final instance decisions in Malta.
● Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS): Data related to open centres.
● Police General Headquarters – Immigration Section: Data on boat arrivals involving irregular migrants.
● Migration Directorate, Ministry of Home Affairs, Security and Employment: Data on resettlements, assisted voluntary returns and relocations.
2. Asylum data are being presented in alignment with Eurostat guidelines provided in relation to Regulation (EC) No. 862/2007 amended by Regulation (EC) No. 851/2020. Methodological information related to the data on applications, as sourced from Eurostat and referenced in this news release, can be accessed here. Methodological information related to data on decisions on applications, as sourced from Eurostat and referenced in this news release can be accessed here.
3. Definitions:
● Asylum seeker: A person who has requested asylum in a country and is awaiting a decision on the application under relevant national and international processes. This definition generally refers to all who apply for protection on an individual basis, irrespective of whether they lodge their application on arrival at an airport or land border, or from inside the country, and irrespective of whether they entered the territory legally or illegally.
● Asylum applicant: A person having submitted an application for international protection.
● Application for asylum: The application made by a non-EU national or a stateless person which can be understood as a request for international protection from a Member State under the Geneva Convention. Any application for international protection is presumed to be an application for asylum unless a non-EU national or a stateless person explicitly requests another kind of protection that can be applied for separately. An application for asylum is deemed to have been lodged once a form is submitted by the applicant for asylum or a report prepared by the authorities has reached the competent authorities. This includes first applications and repeated applications (subsequent, reopened and new) but excludes applications for temporary protection and reviews of positive decisions previously taken by the IPA.
● Assisted voluntary returns (AVR): Programmes which provide administrative and financial support to non-EU nationals residing in the country who wish to return permanently to their country of origin. Such support also ensures that their return is sustainable.
● Geneva Convention status: Refugee status granted within the meaning of Article 1 of the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 28th July 1951 to a person “owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it”.
● First instance decision: A decision granted by the respective authority acting as a first instance of the administrative/judicial asylum procedure in the receiving country. In Malta, the authority is the International Protection Agency (IPA). In this release, first instance decisions reported refer to positive decisions and rejections/applications deemed inadmissible. The data excludes any other decisions that may have been taken by the IPA in the reference year, such as applications that were discontinued as explicitly/implicitly withdrawn, administrative closures and applications closed as Dublin cases.
● Final instance decision: A decision against which there is no further possibility to appeal on the substance of the decision but only on procedural grounds. In Malta, such decisions are taken by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT).
● Open centre population: The Open Centre population comprises persons residing in Ħal Far Tent Village, Ħal Far Open Centre, Dar il-Liedna, and Marsa Open Centre (The Initial Reception Centre). Marsa Open Centre was closed in March 2024.
● Person being a subject of a pending application: A person who is the subject of an application for international protection under consideration by the responsible national authority at the end of the reference period. It includes the number of persons with pending applications at all instances of the administrative and/or judicial procedure.
● Person granted authorisation to stay for humanitarian reasons: A person covered by a decision granting authorisation to stay for humanitarian reasons under national law concerning international protection. It includes persons who are not eligible for international protection but are nonetheless protected against removal.
● Person granted subsidiary protection status: A person who is eligible for subsidiary protection is a third-country national or a stateless person who does not qualify as a refugee but in respect of whom substantial grounds have been shown for believing that the person concerned, if returned to his/her country of origin, or in the case of a stateless person, to his/her country of former habitual residence, would face a real risk of suffering serious harm and is unable, or, owing to such risk, unwilling to avail him/herself of the protection of that country (Art.2(e), Directive 2004/83/EC).
● Refugee: A non-EU national who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group, is outside the country of nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail him/herself of the protection of that country, or a stateless person, who, being outside of the country of former habitual residence for the same reason as mentioned above, is unable or, owing to such fear, unwilling to return to it (Art.2(d), Directive 2004/83/EC).
● Rejected applicant: A person covered by a decision rejecting an application for international protection under consideration by the responsible national authority.
● Relocation: Relocation is the transfer of non-EU nationals or stateless from one EU+ State to another, where they are permitted to reside with a secure legal status.
● Resettlement: The transfer of non-EU nationals or stateless persons to a country outside of the EU+ States, where they are permitted to reside with a secure legal status.
● Stateless: A person who is not considered as a national by any State under the operation of its law, as set out in Article 1 of the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.
● Temporary protection: Temporary protection is an exceptional measure to provide immediate and temporary protection in the event of a mass influx or imminent mass influx of displaced persons from non-EU countries who are unable to return to their country of origin, as outlined by the Temporary Protection Directive 2001/55/EC. The Directive was triggered for the first time by the Council in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 to offer quick and effective assistance to people fleeing the war in Ukraine. The persons currently eligible for temporary protection are: a) Ukrainian nationals residing in Ukraine before 24 February 2022; b) stateless persons, and nationals of non-EU countries other than Ukraine, who benefited from international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine before 24 February 2022; and c) family members of the persons referred to in points (a) and (b).
● Unaccompanied minor: An asylum applicant classified as an unaccompanied minor is a child under the age of 18 who arrives without an accompanying adult responsible for their care. This also includes minors who become unaccompanied after entering the country. If an age assessment procedure is required, the reported age will be the one determined through this process.
4. Geographical information
● The European Union (EU27) includes Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.
● The European Union+ (EU+) States include Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
5. More information relating to this news release may be accessed at:
Population and Migration Unit
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