Maltese authorities rescued 380 migrants from Malta SAR in 2023

Authorities rescued 380 migrants from Malta’s Search and Rescue zone last year, information tabled in parliament shows.

The information was tabled by Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri in reply to a parliamentary question by Opposition MP Joe Giglio.

Camilleri said that 315 migrants were returned to their country of origin as they did not qualify for asylum.

He also said that 159 migrants, who were granted asylum status in Malta, were relocated to another European Union country.

The minister said a further 1,391 third-country citizens, who were found to be living irregularly in Malta, were also returned to their country of origin.

Camilleri said the returns were a result of “years” of government work aimed at making the asylum process and “strong and fair” one, through the implementation of legal amendments and wider government policy.

Last December member states and the European Parliament truck a major deal to reform the bloc’s migration policy, sealing agreement on a vast array of subjects dealing with detention periods, racial profiling, unaccompanied minors, search-and-rescue operations and border surveillance.

European Parliament president Roberta Metsola hailed the deal, which still needs to undergo formal ratification, after a three-year-long ambitious effort that at times seemed doomed to fail.

Metsola described the legislative coup “an emotional moment” and hailed it as a win for the pro-European centre.

The deal drew criticism from the home affairs minister, who said the pact burdens border states.

“While the Pact strengthens solidarity between countries, there are several instances where the burden on frontier countries like Malta will increase. Therefore, the pact does not offer a balance between responsibility and solidarity, nor does it adequately address the needs of the Member States at the frontiers,” he said on Facebook.