Byron Camilleri: Malta's 'tough but fair' irregular migration policy is working

Home Affairs Minister says Malta no longer needs EU assistance to handle issue

Malta is returning close to 80 per cent of failed asylum seekers and has reduced irregular migration pressures enough to no longer require EU assistance to manage it, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri has said.

Speaking in parliament this week, Camilleri said Malta no longer qualified as an under-pressure Mediterranean country in terms of European Union assistance for irregular migration.

He said Malta’s improved relations with Libya played a part in reducing irregular migrant arrivals, but argued that the most important factor was Malta’s “tough but fair” immigration policy.

Byron Camilleri speaking in parliament.

“After everyone is saved, we assist refugees but are very tough on those abusing the system and return them to their places of origin,” he said.

The Home Affairs Ministry now has returns units established within it, which are designed to coordinate such returns, he added.

“This has helped us achieve some of the highest rates of returns to origin countries. The rate has risen to close to 80 per cent in the past years. We are now considered a model country in this regard and no longer need EU assistance,” Camilleri said.

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