Only 235 in detention

The number of immigrants in detention is at its lowest level for this period in six years.

At just 235, it means the three detention centres that were jam-packed with 1,911 immigrants last March have now been mostly freed up. For the past five years, the beginning of spring had seen an average of 1,000 immigrants being held in detention. But after a six-month lull in boat arrivals, the figure has fallen drastically.

At the moment, the only detention centre being used is the one in Safi, while the other two, in Ħal Far and Ta' Kandja, are empty and being renovated.

Detention centres were under the most intense pressure last year after a peak in arrivals in 2008.

Today, there are 4,304 irregular immigrants living in Malta - just over one per cent of the total population.

Even though more than 13,000 African immigrants arrived by boat throughout the last decade, more than half have been sent back to their home countries, resettled elsewhere in the EU or the US, or made their own way to other countries illegally.

The open centres, which have recently been criticised for not providing enough integration support, house some 2,769 immigrants in all.

Meanwhile, 1,300 registered immigrants are living in the community, accounting for just 0.3 per cent of Malta's population.

Of those living in open centres, 36 enjoy refugee status while 1,873 have been granted subsidiary protection. Another 330 have been rejected but have not yet been repatriated. These are given a temporary work permit of three months until they are sent back.

Recent figures issued by the Refugee Commission 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.

Detained immigrants (at end of March)
2005 - 316
2006 - 1,008
2007 - 788
2008 - 955
2009 - 1,911
2010 - 235