Migrants seeking asylum protection in Malta last year hit a five-year low, with the number of applications dropping by 40 per cent, according to the latest Eurostat figures.
Neighbouring Italy, on the other hand, witnessed a staggering increase in asylum applications due to its Mare Nostrum migrant rescue operation – last year it registered a 143 per cent rise over 2013, the highest increase in the EU.
At the same time, the conflict in Libya saw Malta take in a significant number of Libyans seeking protection. Eurostat statistics show that, last year, the island received 1,350 asylum applications, almost 900 less than 2013. Asylum applications in Malta last year were the lowest since 2009.
A breakdown of the nationality of asylum applicants shows most bids – one in every three – were received from Libya. This is a new phenomenon when compared to the previous years, when Eritreans and Somalis were the two nationalities with the highest number of asylum applications submitted to the Maltese authorities.
Apart from 420 applications from Libyan nationals, Malta last year received 305 applications from Syrians and 130 from Somalis.
On an EU level, asylum trends were very different from Malta’s situation.
In 2014, the number of asylum applications in the EU grew by 191,000 – 44 per cent – to reach a peak of 626,000.
In particular, the number of Syrians – civil war in the country has entered its fifth year – rose by 72,000 to stand at 123,000 between 2013 and 2014.
The highest number of applicants was registered in Germany – 202,700 applications (32 per cent of the total) – followed by Sweden (13 per cent), Italy (10 per cent) and France (10 per cent).
In Italy and Hungary, asylum applications more than doubled when compared to 2013.
Syria continued to be the main source country of asylum applicants with the majority applying to be granted protection under the German or Swedish system.
With a total of 41,300 applications, Afghans became the second highest group of citizens seeking asylum, Kosovars placing third. Despite the Libyan conflict and tens of boats packed with sub-Saharan Africans departing Libyan ports in the peak season, Malta experienced lower pressure on its borders since Italy has been stepping in to save lives and rescue migrants encountering difficulties on the high seas.
This increased pressure on the Italian maritime borders, with the EU stepping in to assist the Italians through more funds and a Frontex-led mission.
At the moment the EU sea mission is bracing itself for a record year of migrants in the Med.