There were 282 applications for asylum in the first half of 2023, of which 225 were first-time applications, 54 were subsequent applications, and 3 were re-opened/reviewed, the United Nations Refugee Agency said Friday.

Nationals from Bangladesh, Sudan and Syria were amongst the top three nationalities applying. As of 30 June, the International Protection Agency had issued 1,160 decisions at first-instance. The recognition rate (grants of Refugee Status or Subsidiary Protection) stood at 16% (178), whilst the rejection rate stood at 36% (421). There was a high number of ‘closed' cases (48%; 555), referring to decisions comprising of administrative closures (72), Dublin closures (103), applications that are explicitly (51) or implicitly withdrawn (304), and those deemed inadmissible (25). Temporary Humanitarian Protection (THP) was granted to 6 people.

Analysis shows that the average waiting time for a first instance decision (substantive, grant or rejection) issued in 2023 was 2.3 years. International Protection was granted on average after 2.6 years for Syrians, 2.4 years for Eritreans, and 2.7 years for Somalis. The average time for rejected cases stood at 2.9 years for Sudanese, 3.3 years for Syrians, 2.5 years for Somali, and almost 54 days for Bangladeshis.

Migrant arrivals

Between 1 January and 13 August 2023, there were 231 sea arrivals in Malta (including two medical evacuations). During the same period in 2022, 75 people arrived to Malta by sea, the UNHCR said.

In 2021 this figure was 458 and in 2020, it was 2,045. 84% of arrivals departed from Libya, while the remaining 16% departed from Tunisia. Of the 2023 arrivals, 65% (149) were Bangladeshi, 9% (21) were Syrian, 8% (19) were Guinean, 7% (17) were Cameroonian, 6% (13) were Egyptian, 2% (5) were Sudanese, and 1% (3) each were Palestinian and South Sudanese.

The nationality of one person is unknown as it was not possible to register him due to his medical condition. The above marks a change in the composition of nationalities of arrivals in comparison to 2022, where 51% of arrivals were Bangladeshi, 28% were Syrian and 8% were Egyptian. UNHCR’s protection team attends and monitors disembarkations, providing support to the authorities and giving initial information on reception and asylum procedures to all new arrivals.

As of 3 July, 227 individuals were residing in open reception centres (OCs) in Malta and an additional 210 were residing in the community and benefiting from social assistance. Some 69% (156) of the population in the reception centres were adult males, 92% of those are living in Hal-Far Tent Village alone. The top three nationalities residing in the open centres were Somali (18%), Sudanese (17%) and Syrian (13%). As regards beneficiaries of social assistance in the community, the top three nationalities are Syrians (33%), Libyans (17%) and Ukrainians/Somalis (9% each).

UNHCR Activities

UNHCR visits open and closed centres to provide information on the asylum system, Dublin Regulation, rights and obligations, and to make referrals to the appropriate services. UNHCR is present during disembarkations and works closely with forcibly displaced and stateless persons, partners and the authorities to strengthen their capacity and ensure access to international protection and durable solutions. UNHCR, through its partners, also provides legal aid and psycho-social support to forcibly displaced and stateless persons. UNHCR provides information, counselling and referral to forcibly displaced and stateless persons by email, over the phone, through WhatsApp and via our website and social media. UNHCR provides face-to-face counselling services at the office premises in Ta' Xbiex.

Situation of Persons fleeing Ukraine January - August 2023 Malta has granted 420 Temporary Protection Certificates up to 13 August 2023 to eligible persons fleeing the war in Ukraine. In total, 2,055 certificates have been issued since February 2022. Most of the applicants in 2023 are Ukrainian nationals, except three, one adult female and one adult male from Russia and one adult male from Georgia. Women and children account for about 74% (310) of the TP certificates issued during 2023. Some 26% (110) of certificates are issued to adult men.

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