The Malta-based European Asylum Support Office (EASO) is banking on the support of the Maltese government as it prepares to dramatically increase its operational capacity across Europe.

Proposals put forward by the European Commission, which could be implemented by the end of the year, would see EASO expand into a fully-fledged asylum agency, growing from a staff of less than 100 to over 500.

The office, which currently depends on voluntary pledges of experts from member states, would also be able to draw on a further mandatory pool of 500 experts.

EASO provides support to member states under particular pressure due to the migration crisis, monitoring and training relating to the implementation of the Common European Asylum System. Its work is currently focused around a number of ‘hotspots’ in Italy and Greece.

In 2015, almost 1.4 million applications for international protection were made in the EU, the highest number since the beginning of EU-level data collection in 2008.

Some one million applications remain unprocessed, including applications made this year.

Speaking during a visit by MEPs today, EASO Executive Director Jose' Carreira said the support of the Maltese government would be important both in terms of the infrastructure on the island, where EASO is hoping to expand its Marsa offices, and in terms of implementation at European level, where Malta will be taking over the EU presidency at the start of 2017.

“The Maltese government has always based its positions on common sense, respect for the common asylum policy and its evolution into the future,” Mr Carreira said. “We are confident that we will see the same determination during the presidency which will include support of the legislative proposals on the asylum agency and Dublin reform.”

Labour MEP Miriam Dalli, part of the delegation from the European Parliament’s civil liberties committee, said discussion on greater solidarity between EU member states would be central to Malta’s presidency.

She pointed to differences between the Parliament and Commission on re-location of asylum seekers, central to the reform of the controversial Dublin regulations, where the Parliament is pushing for more far-reaching overhauls than the Commission.

“Malta has been discussing the issue of solidarity for years, so it is heartening to see other countries now discussing this as well,” Dr Dalli said.

During the press conference the MEP delegation, which included Helga Stevens, Cecile Kyenge and Carlos Coelho, also discussed proposals for reform of the European Blue Card system, and the need to strengthen Europe’s foreign policy as a way of addressing root causes in countries of origin.