Fifteen refugees from Eritrea and Somalia have left Malta to begin a new life in the United States.

Since 2006, a total of 773 refugees have been resettled in the US.

The latest group of refugees will be resettled in several different cities across the U.S.

Tracy Brown, Consul at the U.S. Embassy, hosted a reception at the Ambassador's residence in Attard to welcome the refugees to their new lives in America.

Ms. Brown remarked, "The U.S. Refugee Resettlement program strengthens the fabric of America as a land of immigrants and refugees from throughout the world. This program is a success thanks to the collaboration of the Malta Government and the hard work of the staff at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration and the people of the United States of America. It is hard to imagine a responsible program dealing with migrants without UNHCR, IOM and dedicated non-governmental organizations like the Jesuit Refugee Service and the Emigrants Commission."

Once they arrive in the U.S., each refugee will be assigned a sponsor agency that provides initial services such as housing, food, and clothing, as well as referral to medical care, employment services, and other support during a transition period lasting up to two years in order to ensure integration and assimilation.