Times of Malta
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
More than 90 per cent of the irregular migrants who applied for
asylum in Malta last year were granted refugee or humanitarian
protection status at first instance, according to Eurostat data.
This was the highest percentage in the EU27 and well above the 28.2 per cent average.
The data shows that 90.1 per cent of applicants in Malta were granted
a positive decision at first instance. Another five per cent of those
who appealed were then granted protection.
Malta was followed by Italy which granted refugee or humanitarian
status to 61.7 per cent of its applicants at first instance. Another 64
per cent of those who appealed were then granted the protection.
Most of those granted protection in Malta - 75.1 per cent, hailed
from Somalia, followed by Eritrea (11.2 per cent) and Syria (7.8 per
cent).