The EU yesterday approved a grant of €5 million which will be used towards repatriation schemes for illegal immigrants over the next five years.

The figure for returnees remains low compared to the arrivals and the major problem is usually not the expense but the difficulty of establishing the nationality of the migrants, who often do not carry any documentation.

However, the fresh injection over the next five years should help Malta deal better with the situation.

In fact, these funds, allocated under the European Return Fund, are also designed to facilitate joint return operations of illegal immigrants between EU member states.

Following its go-ahead, the European Commission yesterday said that during the next 12 months, Malta will be using these funds to promote sustainable voluntary return by offering tailor-made assistance, counselling and information, and reintegration packages to returnees as well as to perform forced return operations of third-country nationals staying illegally.

EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot yesterday admitted that Malta is facing strong migratory pressures and encouraged the island to implement activities in order to increase the number of persons returning both through national as well as joint actions in co-operation with other EU member states.

The approval of these new funds to be used in the migration sector is the second in less than a month.

In November, Brussels had already approved the granting of another €5 million of EU funds to Malta in order to help the island improve its structures dealing with refugees and asylum seekers including reception centres and support services.

The Commission is currently also evaluating an additional submission by the Maltese authorities under the European Refugee Fund for €500,000 in "extraordinary funds" following the increase in the number of asylum seekers which arrived on Malta's shores during the summer. The funds are needed to refurbish and expand part of the detention centre in Lyster Barracks at Ħal Far.