Last year, nine boats carrying 1,579 asylum seekers arrived in Malta, with applications for asylum reaching 1,891.

On the occasion of World Refugee Day, which falls tomorrow, Wednesday, the 20th of June, The National Statistics Office reported that a sharp increase in arrivals of asylum seekers was recorded last year – 1,532 more than the preceding year. Of the nine boats that reached the Maltese Islands during the year under review, more than half arrived during March. The largest share of irregular immigrants were Africans (96.1 per cent).

During 2011, the Office of the Refugee Commissioner received 1,891 requests for international protection – an increase of 1,715 when compared to 2010. Just under 60 per cent of these applications were filed during April. A majority of the applicants originated from Africa (87.7 per cent) with more than a quarter having Somali citizenship (27.4 per cent). A further 11.3 per cent were Asians and nearly two-thirds were males aged between 18 and 34.

During the year under review, the Office of the Refugee Commissioner processed 1,606 applications, of which 884 were positive decisions. A majority of the positive decisions were granted in the form of subsidiary protection (814) while 70 applicants were granted refugee status. There were also 722 applications for asylum, or 45.0 per cent, that were rejected. 46.0 per cent of the persons that were granted positive decisions were Somalis, while 28.6 per cent were from Eritrea.

Residents registered in Open Centres and other institutional households that hosted irregular migrants decreased by 35.3 per cent when compared to 2010 levels, and numbered 1,289. More than half the persons living in Open Centres resided at Hal Far, while a further 30.8 per cent were living in Marsa.

The majority of these residents were male adults (64.6 per cent), while female adults made up 18.9 per cent of the total. These institutions also hosted 213 children (16.5 per cent). The most prevalent group of residents were African nationals (97.1 per cent).

During 2011, 1,728 persons were found to be illegally present in Malta. A majority, or 91.4 per cent, were Africans, while 6.5 per cent were Asians (mainly of Bangladeshi and Pakistani origin). Another 2.0 per cent were Europeans (mostly from Ukraine). 81.7 per cent of these persons were 18-34 years old, while 3.8 per cent were children under 14 years of age. A total of 159 third-country nationals, including the 34 Europeans, who were found to be illegally resident in Malta, were returned to their country of origin.

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