VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta is returning nearly 80 per cent of failed asylum seekers and no longer needs European Union assistance to manage irregular migration, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri told parliament.
Camilleri said Malta no longer qualifies as an under-pressure Mediterranean state in terms of EU support, citing a significant drop in irregular migrant arrivals.
Improved cooperation with Libya contributed to this decline, he said, but the decisive factor was Malta’s “tough but fair” immigration strategy.
“After everyone is saved, we assist refugees but are very tough on those abusing the system and return them to their places of origin,” Camilleri explained.
He noted that the Home Affairs Ministry has established dedicated returns units to coordinate repatriations more efficiently.
According to Camilleri, these measures have enabled Malta to achieve one of the highest return rates in Europe, approaching 80 per cent in recent years.
“We are now considered a model country in this regard and no longer need EU assistance,” he said.
-Photo Ministry of the Interior-
(ITALPRESS).
