A group of 10 refugees from Somalia and Eritrea left Malta today to begin a new life in the United States. Since the U.S. Embassy began its permanent refugee resettlement programme in May 2008, over 260 refugees have been resettled to the U.S.

Jason Davis, Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy, said that the refugee resettlement programme showed the continuing commitment of the United States to help ease the burden that migration had placed on Malta, as well as its recognition of the enormous challenges and dangers that many of the migrants had faced.

"The Programme's success is a tribute to continued hard work on the part of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, and the United States government, as well as many others here in Malta who have dedicated themselves to improving the lives of refugees in need of humanitarian assistance," Mr Davis said.

He explained that refugees are assigned a sponsor agency in the U.S. that provides initial services such as housing, food, and clothing, as well as referral to medical care, employment services, and other support services during the transition period to self-sufficiency. These services are provided in order to facilitate refugees with the process of integration and cultural assimilation.