Over 1,000 immigrants have been deported from Malta since the start of 2022, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri told Parliament on Monday.

Camilleri was replying to a parliamentary question posed by PN MP Ivan Bartolo, who asked how many immigrants who have entered Malta from 2022 to date have been repatriated.

Camilleri replied that 974 immigrants were either returned to their country of origin or deported to another country throughout 2022.

He added that from 1 January 2023 to 22 March 2023, there were 186 people who were returned to their country of origin, or another country.

He said that this includes the return of persons who arrived in Malta irregularly, and have had their asylum request rejected, and persons who were residing in the country irregularly.

Camilleri recently told Parliament that 738 failed asylum seekers live in Malta, some dating back to 2004.

The failed asylum seekers came from Nigeria and Sudan, with 117 and 103 respectively. Then there were also quite a few migrants from Mali and Ivory Coast, with 86 and 78 respectively.

Overall, failed asylum seekers come from 35 different countries, with most coming from Africa. Two asylum seekers were marked as having no nationality.

The Malta Independent on Sunday had also spoken to Aditus director Neil Falzon, who said that around 1,000 rejected asylum seekers are stuck in a legal limbo after a scheme that enabled them to obtain an identity card for a minimum of two years was abruptly stopped, leaving them trapped in a vacuum that exacerbates their already difficult situation.