US to take 30 refugees a year

The United States and Malta have agreed on a programme to resettle 30 refugees from Malta each year, Foreign Minister Michael Frendo said yesterday.

After mention of the resettlement agreement was made in Parliament by the Foreign Minister on Thursday, The Times asked how many refugees would be accepted under the programme.

Refugees - not individuals with humanitarian protection or illegal immigrants in detention - would be able to apply for the programme under which 30 refugees living in Malta would be resettled in the US.

"It is a very significant gesture which shows that the United States understands the nature of our difficulties," Dr Frendo said, adding that the crucial factor leading to the agreement had been the talks between Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and US President George W. Bush in Washington last month.

"Resettlement is part of the international holistic approach to solving the illegal immigration problem," Dr Frendo said.

Besides seeking international assistance to resettle refugees, Malta was also working within the European Union to assist in the development of poor and troubled nations where people felt compelled to leave home hoping for a better future.

The country has experienced a regular influx of illegal immigrants leaving North African shores for the European mainland. Hundreds have reached Maltese shores mistaking it for Italy or else had been rescued from the sea by the armed forces.

The influx of migrants - most of whom spend months in detention before it is determined whether they are entitled to refugee status - has stretched the country's resources to the limit.

"The illegal immigration problem remains," Dr Frendo said, explaining that on a bilateral and diplomatic level, Malta's case was also being made by the Foreign Office through the network of embassies.