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The EUAA’s Executive Director, Nina Gregori, and Malta’s Minister for Home Affairs, Security and Employment, Byron Camilleri, have together inaugurated the EUAA Academy at Trident Park in Malta. Having become a formal qualifications provider in late 2024, the EUAA Academy will now welcome national officials from all over the EU+ in its dedicated training centre, where they will receive internationally recognised training in asylum and reception matters.

The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), represented by its Executive Director, Ms. Nina Gregori, together with  Byron Camilleri, Minister for Home Affairs, Security and Employment, representatives of the Maltese government and officials of the Malta Further & Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) have inaugurated the new “EUAA Academy” premises, in the presence of members of the EUAA’s Management Board, the European Commission and the UNHCR.

Since 2012, the Agency has been training officials from national administrations in the rules underpinning the Common European Asylum System (CEAS).  While asylum and migration remain at the heart of political debate, it is critical that national officials are well versed in the EU’s asylum and reception laws, so that they can identify those in genuine in need of international protection, while safeguarding their protection systems.

To date, the Agency has recorded over 100 000 participations in over 50 different training modules. Building on this success, the EUAA Academy will be the first accredited training academy providing specialised training in the fields of asylum and reception at an EU level. It will help ensure that:

• Case officers apply the EU’s asylum rules in a consistent manner. Protection legislation in the EU and its Member States’ lies at the intersection of EU and international law. Assessing how it applies to individuals, through personal interviews, and using in-depth knowledge on the situations in Countries of Origin is critical to assessing the credibility of asylum claims.

• Reception experts quickly identify vulnerable individuals. These experts help ensure reception conditions meet EU standards, identify vulnerable persons as early as possible so that psychosocial support can be provided, while remaining aware of the cultural sensitivities of applicants.

• Member States can reduce long-term costs. By investing in their professional development, national authorities can better retain experienced staff and reduce turnover. Training also ensures that practices in accepting or rejecting asylum claims are as similar as possible across Member States, building trust between EU countries.