The Director General of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Ambassador William Lacy Swing, this morning met with Dr. George W. Vella, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to discuss ways to provide assistance during the asylum application processing period.

During this meeting, Ambassador Swing thanked the Government of Malta for the sustained efforts by the Maltese authorities to rescue persons in distress at sea and how migration challenges could be addressed. This is in view of the recent tragedies taking place in the Mediterranean. Ambassador Swing noted the collaborative work undertaken between the Maltese Government and IOM in the repatriation of immigrants and discussed ways to improve current practices toward speeding up such processes.

Ambassador Swing reiterated that the IOM will continue to support Malta in migration matters and discussed ways to improve the current status quo, which is also under discussion at EU level. Minister Vella thanked Ambassador Swing for his support and assured him of Malta’s continued adherence to its international obligations.

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