More than 90 per cent of the irregular migrants who applied for asylum in Malta last year were granted refugee or humanitarian protection status at first instance, according to Eurostat data.

This was the highest percentage in the EU27 and well above the 28.2 per cent average.

The data shows that 90.1 per cent of applicants in Malta were granted a positive decision at first instance. Another five per cent of those who appealed were then granted protection.

Malta was followed by Italy which granted refugee or humanitarian status to 61.7 per cent of its applicants at first instance. Another 64 per cent of those who appealed were then granted the protection.

Most of those granted protection in Malta - 75.1 per cent, hailed from Somalia, followed by Eritrea (11.2 per cent) and Syria (7.8 per cent).

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