The number of migrant boats reaching Malta may have fizzled out over the past couple of years, but those needing protection – especially Libyans and Syrians – still number in the hundreds.

Only one boat made it to the island in 2015, and there were none last year, however the number of people granted protection reached 1,673 and 1,321, respectively.

The majority in 2015 – 1,010 people – were Libyan, followed by 295 Syrians. Three- quarters of the Libyans were granted subsidiary protection, while the remaining 246 were given refugee status.

The number of Libyans granted protection in 2016 was also higher than for all other nationalities. In fact, 552 of the 1,321 were Libyan and, again, most were given subsidiary protection. This was followed by 373 Syrians, 121 Eritreans and 103 Somalis.

These figures might come as a surprise to those questioning the local relevance of a discussion on migration and the need for protection when the island has seen a drop in boat arrivals.

When contacted, Neil Falzon, director of human rights NGO Aditus Foundation, noted that the need for protection remained acute because the majority of those seeking it came from war-torn countries such as Libya and Syria, where it was “terribly unsafe for them to remain”.

The mode of entry of those seeking refuge was irrelevant to the assessment of the need for protection, and people from such countries arrived here by air and possessed regular documents, he pointed out. According to national data, more than 1,000 people reached our shores on boats every year from 2004, dipping once in 2010 to 47 and dropping again in 2014 and 2015. Last year, while no boats arrived, 29 people were medically evacuated from rescue vessels.

However, information provided by the Home Affairs Ministry shows that while 801 people were granted protection in 2011, more than 1,000 people were granted protection status every subsequent year.

In 2012, there were 1,428 people given protection status, which rose to 1,828 in 2013. This was the year that 24 boats arrived, with 2,008 people on board, the highest number since 2008.

The majority of those granted protection in 2013 were Somali, followed by Eritreans, Syrians and Libyans.

But while the number of people granted protection exceeded 1,000 in the following years, the patterns started to change, with more Libyans and Syrians applying for and being granted protection.

The number of people who applied for protection with the Refugees Commissioner has continued to increase over the past three years.

While there were more than 2,000 people who asked for protection in 2012 and 2013, the number dropped to 1,369 in 2014, increasing again to 1,866 in 2015 and reaching 1,942 last year.

In the past, the Commissioner reported the percentage of people who applied for asylum compared to those who had entered Malta by boat. However, this was no longer possible, because the absolute majority of applications were from people who had not arrived by boat, the spokeswoman said.