New Refugee Commissioner appointed

Roberta Buhagiar has been appointed new Refugee Commissioner on Tuesday.

She will be the fourth Refugee Commissioner and has succeeded Martine Cassar, who was appointed in October 2016 for a three-year term. 

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, in consultation with Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia, has appointed her on Tuesday.

Buhagiar has worked in the field of migration and asylum for the past twelve years with various actors including non-government and international organisations. Prior to her appointment, she acted as the Migration Advisor to the Government of Malta. In 2018, she was responsible for coordinating the ad hoc relocation initiatives from Malta to other EU Member States, after several rescue NGOs were allowed to disembark migrants on the island on a humanitarian basis.

Prior to her work with the Maltese government, Buhagiar worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The roles she held with the UN Refugee Agency included heading the Protection Unit of the Malta Office, and monitoring protection issues in France.

Buhagiar has also worked for local NGOs in the field of migration. She graduated as a lawyer from the University of Malta in 2006, holds a Masters in Diplomatic Studies from the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, and throughout her career she has specialised in refugee protection and asylum.