With a small but growing number of Syrian asylum-seekers arriving in Europe, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat requested the European Asylum Support Office to assess the possible effects that may result from the current Syrian political crisis.

While stating that the number of asylum seeker applications were evidently on the increase, he said that momentarily there was no reason for alarm.

Dr Muscat was addressing journalists during a visit to the EASO headquarters in Marsa this morning following a meeting he had with EASO’s executive director Robert K. Visser, who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the agency. Dr Muscat was accompanied by the minister responsible for national security Manuel Mallia.

Asked by journalists if he still supported migrant pushbacks to ports of call, he replied in the affirmative.

“Pushbacks should be the last resort,” he said, adding that he was in favour of pushbacks to safe ports though.

He reiterated his government’s call for a change of regime in Syria.

EASO has a primary task of supporting Member States facing particular pressures and this is done through a number of measures such as the deployment of asylum support teams.

The EU is working towards a common asylum system, the aim of which is to ensure individual asylum cases are dealt with in a coherent way by different Member States.

Dr Muscat highlighted that he was highly satisfied with EASO’s stand it was adopting, that of serving as a neutral observer and facilitator.

On migration, he said that his government will refrain from supporting a “piecemeal approach”, adding that the Maltese government will not be satisfied achieving small steps.

He urged the EU to assist Libya while adding that Malta was in talks with Libya with the aim of easing pressure it was facing from its southern borders.

Dr Muscat was in Libya on Sunday to discuss migration and the purchasing of oil.

Dr Mallia echoed the prime minister’s words and said: “If the EU assists Libya, this would help reduce migrant flows to EU countries as a result.”

Dr Muscat said that there’s a possibility that the humanitarian crisis in Syria could heighten, expressing concern over migrant flows that can hit our southern neighbours, and may eventually end up effecting Malta.

“We are not alarmed; we will follow a system which provides a warning,” he said.

The EASO offices, within Transport Malta’s premises, were inaugurated last year by then prime minister Lawrence Gonzi.

The regulatory agency works hand in hand with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Fundamental Rights Agency, FRONTEX, and consults with civil society. 

Both Dr Muscat and Dr Visser discussed the Common European Asylum System and the measures and ways in which EASO can provide support to Member States.

Dr Visser said: "Malta is very important for EASO and apart from being the host country of the agency, the subject matter of the agency is of particular relevance to this country.

"EASO looks forward to strengthen its relationship with the Maltese government and to continue to support the Maltese asylum system."

Dr Muscat said that the relations between Malta and EASO were strong.