Applications for asylum dropped by 92.6 per cent last year when compared to the previous year, the National Statistics Office said.

In a statement issued on the occasion of World Refugee Day, being celebrated on Monday, the NSO said two boats reached Malta's shores last year carrying 47 persons on board, a significant drop from the15 boats which arrived 2009, and the lowest number in a decade.

This decrease in irregular immigrants was the primary cause of the drop in the number of applications for asylum.

Of the 176 applications filed by the end of last year, 65.3 per cent involved Africans and 33 per cent concerned Asians.

Nearly 20 per cent of the applicants were Somalis. 63.6 per cent, were aged between 18 and 34 and17.6 per cent and 15.3 per cent fell into the 0-17 and 35+ age groups, respectively. Just over 80 per cent were males.

The Refugee Commissoner decided 348 applications and asylum was granted to 222 individuals, 90 per cent of whom were African nationals.

By the end of 2010, 1,676 and 316 persons were residing in open centres and other institutional households, respectively. More than half were living in Hal Far. The majority of the residents (89.8 per cent) were adults, of whom 76.6 per cent were males. Around 10 per cent were minors.

Of these, 98.2 per cent were originating from African countries, with 62.2 per cent and 11.5 per cent of the total being Somali and Eritrean nationals, respectively.

Last year there were 243 people who were found to be illegally present in Malta and 272 were returned to a third country.

World Refugee Day honours people who have left or fled their countries due to fear, conflict, war or enmity.