A new EU law proposal currently being discussed by the European Parliament and the EU Council may lead to a drastic decrease in the number of refugees in Malta.

According to this proposal, immigrants who benefit from international protection (refugees) will acquire the right to move on to other EU countries.

Contacted by The Sunday Times, MEP Simon Busuttil, who has been appointed EPP-ED spokesperson on this law, confirmed that this proposal could effectively help release some of the pressures caused by the influx of immigrants on countries such as Malta. During 2006, Malta received 1,200 asylum applications. This proposal is being seen as another step forward in the fledgling EU immigration policy. One of the specific difficulties currently faced by Malta is that, being an island, immigrants cannot freely move on to mainland Europe, neither physically nor legally or illegally. As a result, they are 'stuck' in Malta for a number of years, unless they are returned to their country of origin or somehow resettle in another country.

Currently, EU law already gives non-EU nationals who reside legally in a member country a right to a long-term residence status after a period of five years. This gives them the right not just to live on a long-term basis in that EU country but also to move on to other countries in the EU.

So far, immigrants were excluded from the benefit of these rights. However, this will change with this new proposal, which will extend the same rights to immigrants who benefit from international protection, that is, refugees and persons under humanitarian protection. They too will now be able to acquire a long-term residence status and move to other EU countries after a period of five years.

Dr Busuttil that the new law would give immigrants the right to move on to other EU countries, albeit after a period of five years.

"This is precisely what these refugees want. To go to mainland Europe. They will be able to do so with this law. It's another small step. But it will help us," he said.

In order to become law this proposal has to be approved by all the 27 EU member states.