A total 4,090 applications for international protection were received by the Office of the Refugee Commissioner in 2019 – an increase of 92% over 2018.

During 2019, 43 boat landings (including persons airlifted from the sea) were recorded in Malta with 3,405 persons being brought to Maltese shores – an increase of 1,960 persons when compared to the previous year. Almost 93% of persons brought to shore were Africans, the remaining 7% Asians.

The highest number was recorded in August with a total of 662 individuals, followed by June and September, with 599 and 508 individuals respectively.

When analysing asylum applications in the context of the European Union, Malta ranked second after Cyprus per million population. Most applicants (80%) were Africans with the largest proportion being Sudanese (26%).

A further 11% and 6% were Syrians and Libyans respectively. A large proportion of applicants (71%) were men aged between 18 and 34.

In 2019, the Office of the Refugee Commissioner processed 1,040 applications: 39% were granted a positive decision at first instance, while the others were rejected.

An increase of 38 per cent was registered in the resident population of open centres and other institutional households when compared to the preceding year.

Just over three-quarters of these were residing in Ħal Far, 213 persons in other institutional households excluding open centres. 

During the year under review, 619 persons were relocated from Malta to another EU country, while another 16 were resettled to countries outside the EU. The majority of those persons relocated were shared between Germany and France which hosted 42% and 41% per cent of resettlements.