Few migrants accepted as refugees
Just over two per cent of asylum seekers were granted refugee status in the past seven years, according to statistics released by the Refugee Commission.
Official figures show that just 232 out of 10,629 applicants were eligible for refugee status between 2002 and 2009.
Another 5,677 were granted subsidiary and 17 temporary humanitarian protection, while 251 withdrew their application, bringing the number of rejections to 4,452.
Last year alone, a record number of applications were processed by the Refugee Commission: 2,959 compared to 2,731 in 2008 and 958 in 2007.
This is mainly due to a rise in resources and the streamlining of procedures, bringing the average time it takes to process an application down to five or six months.
This meant asylum seekers granted refugee status or subsidiary protection were spending less time in detention. It also gave authorities more time to obtain the documents necessary to repatriate those who did not qualify.
Refugee Commissioner Mario Friggieri said the majority of cases in the past took between eight and 10 months.
"Before they used to take longer for various reasons, the main ones being the sheer number of applications, a lack of resources, be it human and material, and different procedures that were more apt for smaller intakes," he explained.
Notwithstanding, the commission began the year with no backlog since last year's arrivals had already been interviewed and their cases were either closed or were about to be so. Mr Friggieri also attributed the improvement to a project launched last summer, in which illegal immigrants were provided with all the necessary information about the procedure within three days of their arrival.
"This was beneficial to asylum seekers because they were given first-hand and correct information about the process and also to the office because we could immediately collect the right details.
"In fact, the project is already being considered as an example of best practice in other countries."
Moreover, the office also strengthened its language and document analysis areas after regularly attending international meetings, during which experiences were shared.
Notwithstanding, some illegal immigrants did not seek asylum, especially those from North African countries.
"They prefer being sent back to their country, where they usually give it a second try and maybe reach the mainland, as was their initial intent," Mr Friggieri said.
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sean grima
Jan 20th 2010, 12:16
@lgalea, i am as much of a maltese citizen as you are, but i do not happen to be an extremist xenophobe. the solution to the phenomenon of immigration- of a course on a long term - is for developed countries to help africa improve the living conditions of the population. i consider the fact that people are suffering and living in such conditions to be my problem too, because they are as human as i am, irrespective of whether they are maltese or not.
I M Dingli
Jan 20th 2010, 09:06
Very reassuring from your end Mr. Sean Grima. So does this mean that if an action is fundamentally bad, than we have to accept it because other countries have the same problem? Maybe you forgot to point out the fact that our country is the size of an average European city.
C.ZARB
Jan 20th 2010, 08:19
With all due respect Mr Grima but proportionally we are getting much more immigrants then other countries. Not to forget that unlike many other Western countries we have never colonized so we have no debt to pay to these poor fellows.
Joseph Grech
Jan 19th 2010, 23:01
Mr. Friggieri ''also attributed the improvement (in application processing) to a ''project'' launched last summer, in which illegal immigrants were provided with all the necessary information about the procedure within three days of their arrival. This was beneficial to asylum seekers because they were given first-hand and correct information about the process and also to the office because we could immediately collect the right details.'' Readers interested to know more about this project can download the project booklet at http://www.jrsmalta.org/Guide_Book_EN.pdf
It was produced by the local Jesuits (they call themselves JRS) - their idea being to help all those arriving here illegally - for whatever reason.
This ''illegal entry manual'' explained the process involved in the Application for Asylum, pointed out other strategies the arrivals might consider, their international rights, etc.
Mr. Friggieri declares: "In fact, the project (by JRS) is already being considered as an example of best practice in other countries."
Should the Maltese congratulate and thank the providers of this manual, I wonder? Hopefully the project (and the manual) will be copied in other E.U. states so that possibly all illegal immigration may cease. That way there won't be any need for burden-sharing. What a hope!
lgalea
Jan 19th 2010, 21:49
sean grima
Sometimes I wonder if you are a Maltese citizen because whenever you write you only defend the ILLEGAL immigrants and not Malta and the Maltese citizens. Let me tell you the whether you and the other do-gooders like it or not all the ILLEGAL immigrants shall be EXPELLED from Malta.
sean grima
Jan 19th 2010, 19:05
some people seem to be forgetting that 1397 immigrants were granted HUMANITARIAN protection. technically/legally a refugee would need to be someone who is being actively persecuted, but an immigrant may still qualify for humanitarian protection although not as a refugee.
sean grima
Jan 19th 2010, 18:08
malta is sharing the immigration 'problem' together with all the western world...the number of immigrants in other european countries runs in hundreds of thousand if not millions! stop playing the victims!
Mario Attard
Jan 19th 2010, 18:04
This statistic says it all:
Just over two per cent of asylum seekers were granted refugee status in the past seven years, according to statistics released by the Refugee Commission.
Official figures show that just 232 out of 10,629 applicants were eligible for refugee status between 2002 and 2009.
Thousands of Maltese citizens know that tiny Malta, can and should shelter a reasonable, realistic number of genuine refugees but not the sheer thousands of economic illegal immigrants.
Raymond Sammut
Jan 19th 2010, 15:37
@ Chris Ebejer
A good and perfectly valid point. For example, how much destruction did we witness only a few months ago when Tunisians were resisting deportation? By how many police officers each Ghanaian had to be accompanied when these illegal entrants were being flown back to their home country? How much police and AFM resources have been wasted searching for illegal entrants who escape detention and attempt to leave Malta illegally to enter another EU country?
@ Mr Friggieri -- Most, if not all, are totally fed up with all the lies said to us in regard to illegal immigration. This is a crime activity against Malta that has been going on all along. Everyone who have been perpetrating these lies owe an apology to the Maltese public.
Chris Ebejer
Jan 19th 2010, 12:47
'''They prefer being sent back to their country,''
U hallina Sur Friggieri!
Those whom their application had been refused are still roaming in our streets.
Dur dawra ma Malta!!!
David Bonello
Jan 19th 2010, 12:45
We maltese are known for our generosity,& helping people is not the first time. Take the tragedy in Haiti, in a few days the Maltese people donated 37tons of goods. But then we have others who take advantage of our kindness, which we maltese offer.Sometimes the few becomes to much.