Malta has now reached a certain crucial point in its immigration history and serious studies, reflection and a healthy discussion, based on correct and right information, have become sine qua non conditions, said the Refugee Commissioner, Mario Guido Friggieri yesterday.

Mr Friggieri was addressing a conference on the occasion of World Refugee Day entitled ‘The Asylum Procedure… And Then What…?

The conference focused on sustainable solutions for refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and also failed asylum seekers. A long list of key speakers highlighted and discussed practical solutions currently being implemented and proposals that can be implemented in the future. An overview of the situation and breakdown of figures was also given.

Commissioner Friggieri said that whilst recognising the Geneva Convention and the 1967 Protocol as extremely important milestones in the history of refugee status determination, one must also ask whether this 60-year-old important tool needs revisiting and restructuring to ensure it remains valid. The same goes for his office which must continue improving and adapting to circumstances.

Irregular migration as we know it today started 10 years ago. Although migration has long been existing, since 2002 the phenomenon has changed. A record number of immigrants arrived: 2,775 arrived in 2008 and in the next year, another 1,500 arrived, this time in larger boats with most arriving in the shoulder months. While only 47 people arrived by boat in 2010, a total of 945 cases were tackled by the Refugee Commission.

Boat persons are not its only clients and a number of persons arriving in Malta by other means also seek its services. In fact, there were 80 such cases in 2010 and another 45 were subsequent or review cases.

This year Malta already received 1,530 arrivals – the annual average in seven boats. Some arrived with luggage and belongings.

“The question remains what is the future of all this? And how the phenomenon will further evolve?” Mr Friggieri said.

Most importantly, the pertinent questions remain about the future of the persons who came to Malta for protection, he added.

European Asylum Support Office to open on Sunday

Addressing the same conference, Justice and Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said the situation at open centres, which has often been criticised by international NGOs among others, is ultimately the result of the asylum pressures Malta is facing.

It is, at the end of the day, one of the main reasons why Malta has requested the assistance of the EU member states and the United States by means of the resettlement of beneficiaries of international protection.

Over the years several refurbishment projects have been undertaken at closed and open centres, further to the establishment of new centres. Accommodation however, particularly at open centres, has consistently proven challenging, he pointed out, not least because of the sheer numbers of people that they have to cater for.

Moreover, the difficulties faced by beneficiaries of international protection in integrating, mainly in view of the country’s innate limitations, translate into prolonged stays at the centres by significant numbers of migrants. This, combined with new arrivals, leads to a situation where the centres are constantly full to capacity – a scenario that hinders refurbishment, although such projects have in fact been undertaken.

Due to the increasing pressure of migration following the Libya crisis, a total of 12 states, including eight EU members as well as Norway and Switzerland, have pledged to take part in the extension of the EU Pilot Project that is presently ongoing. It is expected that a further 385 immigrants would be resettled as a result of this project, including 150 to Germany.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said this state of affairs confirms that more needs to be done not only for Malta’s benefit, but also for persons in need of international protection, as further resettlement projects will also facilitate the integration of those who will remain in Malta.

Cooperation work is in fact the fulcrum of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) that will be opening in Malta next Sunday.

Its aim is to facilitate, coordinate and strengthen practical cooperation among member states on the many aspects of asylum; provide operational support to member states which are subjected to strong pressure on their asylum systems, including the coordination of asylum support teams made up of asylum experts. It will also provide scientific and technical assistance for community policy-making and legislation in all areas having a direct or indirect impact on asylum. The Office will be an agency of the Union and will have legal personality.

Training

Following yesterday’s full day conference, a three-day seminar entitled ‘The Law of Refugee Status’ is currently being delivered by Professor James C. Hathaway – a legal scholar in the field. All staff at the Refugee Commissioner’s Office, members of the asylum appeals boards, as well as UNHCR Malta representatives and others from the Jesuit Refugee Service have been invited to attend.

Prof. Hathaway is also giving a public lecture tomorrow at The Palace Hotel, where the conference and training sessions are taking place, at 6pm. ‘Saving International Refugee Law’ is the chosen theme.

Meanwhile, over 40 people working in the field yesterday started participating in another joint training initiative on ‘Countering Trafficking in Human Beings’. Police officers, personnel at the Attorney General’s Office, as well as NGO representatives, Aġenzija Appoġġ and the Central VISA Unit were among attendees.

This was a result of cooperation between the Justice and Home Affairs Ministry, and the United States authorities.

The training sessions are being delivered by the IOM Washington Office.