The Refugee Commissioner received 2,131 applications for international protection in 2018, 15.9 per cent more than in 2017.

The National Statistics Office said 16 boat landings were recorded in Malta with 1,445 persons being brought to Maltese shores. The majority, 80.1 per cent, were African, the rest Asian.

During the year under review, 79 third-country nationals were resettled to another country – a decrease of 54.3 per cent over 2017. Another 22 benefitted from assisted voluntary return programmes.

Considering applications per million population, Malta ranked third among EU  countries, after Cyprus and Greece. The majority of applications, 60.2 per cent, were lodged by Africans.

Considering individual countries with regards to the total applications for asylum, the largest proportion of applicants were Syrian (22.8%). Another 15 per cent and 14.5 per cent were Somali and Libyans, respectively.

A total of 1,500 applications were processed in 2018 with 43.1 per cent being granted a positive decision at first instance. The remaining applications were rejected.

More than half of the applicants who were granted a form of protection status were Africans and 37.8 per cent were Asian. 

An increase of 30.5 per cent was registered in the resident population of open centres and other institutional households when compared to the preceding year. The majority of this population was in Ħal Far (71.9%). The largest share of residents were males (77%) while 13.8 per cent and 13 per cent were Sudanese and Somali, respectively.