A group of about 100 African migrants embarked on a new life in Germany yesterday, a process facilitated by the UN refugee agency.
The group left Malta as part of an EU pilot project which aims to provide solutions in other member states for 255 individuals who were granted asylum status in Malta.
Participating countries include France, Germany, Luxembourg, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania and the United Kingdom.
The relocation to Germany is the largest yet, following the departure of 92 individuals to France last July.
Such relocation to European countries complement the ongoing resettlement programme from Malta to the US, which has so far resulted in about 500 migrants leaving Malta. This number is expected to increase significantly over the next 12 months, according to the UNHCR, which said another 44 individuals would leave for the US in the coming days.
Jon Hoisaeter, UNHCR rep-resentative in Malta, describ-ed the relocation from Malta as an example of European responsibility-sharing in practice.