A group of migrants were relocated from Malta to Germany on Thursday, the government said.

In a statement, it said the relocation took place as part of the agreement reached between Malta and the European Commission, aimed at reducing the burden of irregular migration on Malta.

The statement did not say how were relocated, their countries of origin and how long they had been in Malta.

It said the people left Malta on a direct flight to Germany where their request for international protection will continue to be considered.

The Home Affairs Ministry said relocation was the only effective way of reducing the burden on frontier states. The government will, however, continue working to reduce the number of arrivals and return people who do not deserve protection to their countries of origin.

This work, the ministry said, was reflected in this year’s figures with the number of migrants leaving the island surpassing that of new arrivals.

Preparations for the relocation involved the assistance of immigration police, the International Organisation of Migration, and the European Asylum Support Office.

The relocation was co-financed by the European Union.