Member States Operations - Malta

The Agency has been supporting Malta since 2017 in an effort to further enhance the quality of the national asylum and reception system.  

At present, in cooperation with the Maltese authorities and external stakeholders, a new multi-annual Operating Plan was drafted and signed in December 2021 for the period 2022 – 2024. 

Building on the progress achieved through the operational and technical assistance provided, and assuming that the number of arrivals would remain at similar levels as in 2021, the Agency initiated, in cooperation with the Maltese authorities, phasing out from specific support areas towards the end of 2022, with a possible carry over into 2023. 

The 2022-2024 Operational Plan, in this perspective, foresaw a shift of activities, including information provision, and more particularly support in the development of content and tools. Additionally, it has been anticipated a withdrawal of support to AWAS (Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seeker) in the area of age assessments. All other activities that were supported by EUAA during 2021 are part of the current Operational Plan.  

In line with the changes in the operational context following the invasion of Ukraine launched by the Russian armed forces, on 24 February 2022, on 29 April 2022, the 2022-2024 Operational Plan, was amended, following a request of the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement (currently Ministry of Home Affairs, Security, Reforms and Equality) for additional support.  

A third pillar, Temporary Protection Support, was added to the OP Amendment 1, aiming at increasing the capacity of the Maltese authorities to manage the implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD). The expected outcome as agreed with the national authorities was to enhance the capacity of the Maltese authorities to effectively implement the TPD via information provision, TP registrations, assessments of eligibility criteria, as well as issuing of TP decisions and certificates.  

Given the reduced pressure to the Maltese Asylum and Reception system and following a Needs Assessment exercise that was initiated in July 2022, a second Amendment to the Operational Plan was signed between the EUAA and the Maltese Authorities on 15 May 2023. The Amendment superseded Amendment 1 of 29 April 2022, and it foresaw support in the areas of Asylum, Reception, as well as Temporary Protection.  

Asylum authorities requested EUAA's support in 2023, to improve access to the asylum procedure and increase the capacity of the authorities to manage first instance backlog. Building on EUAA's achievements, in 2023 support focused on Quality Assurance in Asylum, in addition to regular support activities (registration & front desk, Dublin, support to asylum decision making processes, digitisation, COI, relocation). In Reception, the Maltese authorities requested EUAA's continued support to enhance the capacity of the Quality Assurance Unit and implement quality assurance reception activities.  

Considering the decreased pressure of the Maltese Asylum and Reception systems, the latest amendment, agreed in May 2023, also foresaw the gradual phase out from operational activities, as well as a planned exit from support by EUAA at the end of 2024. The aim is to ensure a sustainable phase-out strategy with effective handover to the Maltese authorities of activities, with retention of knowledge and continuation of workflows developed with the support of the EUAA. 

In 2017, the main focus of the collaboration with the Maltese government was initially directed towards the revision of the age assessment procedures, the organisation of trainings for the local authorities and the dissemination of best practices for lodging applications of international protection.   

In 2018, EUAA had continued providing its support to the Office of the Refugee Commissioner (now International Protection Agency), by providing training sessions to Caseworkers and Dublin Officers.   

In 2019, the Agency and Malta cooperated on ad hoc voluntary relocation exercises taking place on the Maltese territory. This also included support in the registration of applications of international protection, information provision, support for vulnerability assessments, as well as support to the Dublin Unit.  

During the same year, according to data of the Ministry of Home Affairs, sea arrivals recorded, were more than double in comparison to 2018.  More particularly, during the first seven months of 2019, the number of applications increased by 83% compared with the same period in 2018. A Needs Assessment exercise conducted by EUAA, concluded that the Maltese Asylum and Reception system was facing disproportionate pressure, by straining the national capacity and resources across several areas, including the registration of applications for international protection, first-instance determination, Dublin procedure, and second-instance determination. 

The Maltese Reception system was additionally impacted by the significant number of arrivals recorded in 2019 and early 2020, while the situation was further worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic.  

As early as January 2020 the number of cumulative irregular arrivals to Malta surpassed those recorded in the same period of 2019 and, despite a ban on entry, a significant increase was recorded. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the exacerbation of the conflict in Libya, affected the arrivals in the country and the movements along the central Mediterranean route. In line with nationwide Covid-19 prevention measures, face-to-face registrations in Malta were interrupted for nine weeks before restarting in the second half of May remotely. 

As a result, EUAA had expanded its operational support to Malta in Reception. EUAA personnel deployed started supporting the Maltese authorities in Vulnerability Assessments, Vulnerability screening and Referrals as well as in providing technical support in Reception. Additionally, EUAA continued to support the Maltese authorities with ad hoc disembarkations and voluntary relocations. Towards the end of 2020, the Operating Plan was amended so that the Agency started providing support to age assessment procedures. Operating in the offices of the Refugee Commissioner, EUAA personnel resumed providing support in the registrations of asylum cases, the renewal of asylum seeker documents and administrative work. In parallel, EUAA kept providing support to the Malta Dublin Unit during the pandemic.    

Several tools were reviewed with EUAA’s support, namely: 

• A Referral Form, used to refer vulnerable people to the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS); 

• A Vulnerability Assessment Tool; 

• A Screening Tool to prioritise cases of registered applicants that need to be assessed; 

• A screening tool to prioritise cases that need to be assessed from the residents that did not have access to the asylum procedure; 

• A recording tool to keep track of the stage of each referral.

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