World Refugee Day: 20 June 2024
The National Statistics Office was informed by the source of data related to residents in open centres that an error was identified in the data provided for this News Release. Data on residents in open centres is found in Table 16, Table 17, Table 18, and Table 18a in the Annex. The total number of persons resident in open centres at the end of 2023 should read 222 instead of 375. The salient point and commentary related to this section was updated accordingly. Online documents were amended on 03 July 2024 at 12:30 hrs.
Boat arrivals and applications for international protection
During 2023, 12 boat landings were recorded in Malta, with 380 persons being brought to Maltese shores (including persons airlifted at sea), a decrease of 14.6 per cent when compared to 2022 (Table 1). Most persons brought to shore were citizens of Asian countries (80 per cent), while a further 19.7 per cent were citizens of African countries (Table 2). August saw the highest recorded number of persons being brought to shore, 94 individuals, closely followed by arrivals in April, at 91 individuals (Table 3).
Chart 1. Boat landings in Malta with irregular immigrants
Note: Figures refer to number of boat landings that may include landings involving more than one boat. Also include airlifted and evacuated.
Source: Police General Headquarters – Immigration Section.
When excluding applications for temporary protection and reviews of positive decisions previously taken by the International Protection Agency (IPA), 854 applications for asylum were lodged during 2023 – a decrease of 35.2 per cent over the previous year (Table 4).
When analysing asylum applications per million resident population across the Member States within the European Union (EU), Malta ranked sixteenth with respect to applications per capita, with Cyprus having the highest number of applications per capita and Hungary having the lowest (Map 1, Table 5).
Map 1. Total asylum applications by EU reporting country per million population: 2023
Note: Excludes applications for temporary protection. Data disseminated by Eurostat is rounded to the nearest 5.
Source: Eurostat online database, applications [migr_asyappctza] and population [demo_pjan] – extracted on 09.05.2024.
Slightly over half of the applicants filing an application with the IPA were citizens of African countries (51.1 per cent). When assessing individual countries of citizenship however, 16.6 per cent of the total applicants in 2023 were Syrian. This was followed closely by Bangladeshi citizens, at 14.2 per cent. Over half of the applicants (58.7 per cent) were males aged between 18 and 34 (Table 6).
Decisions on applications for international protection and appeals
During 2023, the IPA took 327 decisions granting protection at first instance (excluding temporary protection) to asylum applicants. A further 787 applications were rejected. Other decisions taken by the IPA in the reference year are excluded (Table 7). When compared to the other EU Member States, this ranks Malta joint third lowest with Cyprus with respect to positivity rate in 2023. Estonia had the highest share of positive first decisions at 97.1 per cent, with Romania having the lowest share of positive decisions at 15.6 per cent (Chart 2).
Chart 2. First instance decision outcomes by EU reporting countries
2023
No Data Found
Note: Excludes decisions granting temporary protection. Data disseminated by Eurostat is rounded to the nearest 5.
Source: Eurostat online database table [migr_asydcfsta] – extracted on 09.05.2024.
Among those granted protection at first instance during 2023, 64.5 per cent were of Syrian citizenship with a further 17.7 per cent being Eritrean citizens (Table 8). A total of 726 appeals on first instance decisions were filed with the International Protection Appeals Tribunal in 2023, a decrease of 14.8 per cent compared to the previous year (Table 9). During 2023, the International Protection Appeals Tribunal processed 451 appeals, of which 442 (98.0 per cent) were rejected (Table 10). Within the EU, Malta had the fifth lowest positivity rate on final instance decisions taken on appeals in 2023. Three countries – Estonia, Slovenia and Portugal rejected all appeals processed in the reference year, while Bulgaria and Slovakia issued positive decisions for all appeals processed. Hungary reported 0 final instance decisions taken on appeals in 2023 (Chart 3).
Chart 3. Final instance decisions by EU reporting countries
2023
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 09.05.2024.
At the end of 2023, in Malta, there were 1,981 applications for asylum pending a first or final decision, a decrease of 33.4 per cent from the previous year. Of these pending decisions, 1,027 were pending a first decision from the IPA and 954 were pending a final decision on appeals filed with the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (Table 11). Of the individuals awaiting a decision, 13.8 per cent were Syrian citizens (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
On 4 March 2022, the European Council triggered the Temporary Protection Directive (2001/55/EC), in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The directive allows Member States to grant immediate and temporary protection to residents fleeing the Ukraine following the invasion on 24 February 2022. While in 2022, the IPA granted temporary protection to 1,629 persons, in 2023 this decreased to 566.
In 2023, approximately 1.06 million decisions granting temporary protection were issued within the EU. The highest share was in Germany, accounting for 31.8 per cent of all decisions. This was followed by Poland, at 22.5 per cent. When considering the number of persons granted temporary protection per million resident population, Czechia ranked highest while France ranked lowest (Table 13).
At the end of December 2023, there were 1,963 persons benefiting from temporary protection in Malta, with 99.3 per cent being Ukrainian citizens. Most beneficiaries were female (69.7 per cent) and 26.8 per cent of all beneficiaries were minors aged between 0 and 17. Of the minors who were beneficiaries of temporary protection at end December 2023, 2.3 per cent were unaccompanied at the time they were granted protection (Table 14).
At the end of December 2023, approximately 4.3 million persons were beneficiaries of temporary protection within the EU. The highest share was in Germany, accounting for 29.3 per cent of all beneficiaries, with a further 22.3 percent in Poland. When considering the number of beneficiaries of temporary protection per million resident population, Czechia ranked highest while France ranked lowest (Table 15, Map 2).
Map 2. Number of temporary protection beneficiaries within the EU: 2023
Note: Data disseminated by Eurostat is rounded to the nearest 5.
Source: Eurostat online database, applications [migr_asytpsm] and population [demo_pjan] – extracted on 09.05.2024.
Open centres and resettlement, return and relocation programmes
A total of 222 persons were resident in open centres at the end of 2023, a decrease of 14.0 per cent when compared to the preceding year. The majority were residing in Ħal Far (86.0 per cent) (Table 16). Most of the residents were male (83.3 per cent) (Table 17). Syrian citizens made up the highest share of residents at 17.1 per cent, followed by Sudanese citizens at 14.9 per cent (Table 18). During the year under review, 159 persons were relocated from Malta to another EU+ country, while 21 persons were resettled from Malta to a country outside of EU+ States. A further 10 persons benefitted from assisted voluntary return programmes and were returned to their country of origin (Table 19). In 2023, one person was resettled to Malta from a country outside of the EU+ States (refer to Methodological note 4).
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
The National Statistics Office was informed by the source of data related to residents in open centres that an error was identified in the data provided for this News Release. Data on residents in open centres is found in Table 16, Table 17, Table 18, and Table 18a in the Annex. The total number of persons resident in open centres at the end of 2023 should read 222 instead of 375. The salient point and commentary related to this section was updated accordingly. Online documents were amended on 03 July 2024 at 12:30 hrs.
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: data related to appeals of asylum decisions and final instance decisions.
● Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS): data related to open centres.
● Police General Headquarters – Immigration Section: data on boat arrivals with 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 regarding data on applications from Eurostat referenced in this release can be accessed here.
Methodological information regarding data on decisions on applications from Eurostat referenced in this 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-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.
● Open centre population: The Open Centre population includes persons residing in Ħal Far Tent Village, Ħal Far Open Centre, Dar il-Liedna, and Marsa Open Centre (The Initial Reception Centre).
● 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 third-country 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 third 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 considered to be an unaccompanied minor is a minor (aged less than 18) who arrives unaccompanied by an adult responsible for him. It includes a minor who is left unaccompanied after he has entered the country. In the case that an age assessment procedure is required, the age reported shall be the age determined by the mentioned procedure.
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, 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:
Sources and methods
Statistical concepts
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Past releases
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8. A detailed news release calendar is available online.
World Refugee Day: 20 June 2024
The National Statistics Office was informed by the source of data related to residents in open centres that an error was identified in the data provided for this News Release. Data on residents in open centres is found in Table 16, Table 17, Table 18, and Table 18a in the Annex. The total number of persons resident in open centres at the end of 2023 should read 222 instead of 375. The salient point and commentary related to this section was updated accordingly. Online documents were amended on 03 July 2024 at 12:30 hrs.
- In 2023, excluding temporary protection, the International Protection Agency (IPA) received 854 first and repeat applications for asylum – a decrease of 35.2 per cent over the previous year.
- In 2023, the IPA granted protection to 327 applicants, while 787 were rejected.
- At the end of 2023, there were 1,981 asylum applications pending a decision, a decrease of 33.4 per cent compared to the previous year.
- In 2023, 566 persons displaced by the invasion of Ukraine were granted temporary protection by the IPA. At the end of 2023, 1,963 persons were beneficiaries of temporary protection in Malta.
- At the end of 2023, there were a total of 222 persons residing in open centres, a decrease of 14.0 per cent compared to the previous year.
