More Dutch aid on migration expected

The assistance that the Dutch government has pledged to give Malta in the area of irregular immigration and asylum is expected to be consolidated this year, the government said yesterday. During meetings that a four-strong delegation from the Dutch...

The assistance that the Dutch government has pledged to give Malta in the area of irregular immigration and asylum is expected to be consolidated this year, the government said yesterday.

During meetings that a four-strong delegation from the Dutch Organisation for the Reception Of Asylum Seekers (COA) had with senior officials from the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs, the Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity, and NGOs, it was announced that the joint project proposal for funding from the European Union is expected to be approved shortly. The project is a bilateral initiative that would ensure that Malta benefits from Dutch expertise in the sphere of management of accommodation centres for asylum seekers and immigrants.

The initiatives that are being undertaken bilaterally include the resettlement of refugees from Malta, technical assistance in the area of reception management and a study visit to reception centres for Maltese officials funded under the EU's 2005 Argo programme.

This is the third mission by a Dutch delegation to Malta dealing with migration and asylum.

Last December, 33 refugees from Malta were accepted and resettled in Holland.

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