Malta's migration policy has one clear goal - to prevent illegal migration. To achieve this, the country has appointed a "migration ambassador", who establishes contact with the countries from which illegal migrants arrive, explains ARD. Malcolm Cutajar holds this position. He is convinced that Malta is coping with illegal migration. In 2019, more than 3,000 people arrived on the Mediterranean island. By the end of last year, their number had fallen by about 93 percent.
Malta as a "pioneer" in the fight against illegal migration
During the conversation with ARD, Kutajar repeatedly emphasized that Malta's legislation has long contained many of the measures adopted by the EU within the framework of the new Common European Asylum System. It entered into force in early June and the idea is to reduce illegal migration and distribute the burden of refugee waves between EU countries, the media recalls.
Malta sees itself in the role of a "pioneer” in terms of deportations. Since 2020, the country has been working on faster and more effective returns, while at the same time limiting arrivals. According to Kutajar, one of the reasons why people try to enter an EU country illegally is related to the non-working deportation system, which motivates them to take advantage. Malta works with countries such as Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana, Gambia and Côte d'Ivoire, where a large part of the migrants come from. In addition, the Maltese authorities clearly explain what the migrants' chances of obtaining asylum in Malta are in order to convince them to return voluntarily.
Asylum seekers remain in detention
The desire of the migrants to return is probably also motivated by the fact that migrants usually remain in detention during the asylum application process, writes ARD. Malcolm Cutajar claims, however, that the decision to detain is considered individually for each case and is made only as a last resort.
Most people who are currently arriving as migrants in Malta did not actually have any plans to stay in the country at all. Therefore, Cutajar explains that the risk of them fleeing if they are not in detention is assessed. Officially, the Maltese authorities can detain asylum seekers for up to nine months. Human rights organizations such as "Aditus” However, they report that in some cases refugees remain in detention for much longer.
Status issues and rescue of boats in distress
Lawyer Carla Camilleri works for "Aditus” in the town of Hamrun near the capital Valletta. Migrants who need help contact her, ARD reports. Camilleri believes that Malta has never been a country that is friendly to migrants. The culture of helping people in distress at sea, as is done, for example, in Lampedusa, Italy, is not known on the small Mediterranean island. "We always felt that because we are a very small island, it would be an invasion", she explains.
According to the lawyer, Malta's restrictive migration policy has some serious consequences - for example, children who have arrived in the country legally and grown up there are detained as soon as they turn 18. The reason is that the residence permit is linked to that of the child's parents. And once they reach adulthood, they lose their protected status and have to apply for asylum separately or apply for a student visa. And asylum seekers are usually first sent to detention.
Camilleri also believes that Malta is simply refraining from participating in rescue operations for vessels trying to cross the Mediterranean. The government interprets the situations in which it should intervene more restrictively. A simple request for help is no longer enough, nor is it enough that the boat has become unmanageable, says Camilleri. The vessel must be in a state of distress. The lawyer also notes that NGOs call the Maltese rescue coordination center and often do not receive a response, writes ARD.
Private rescues are not allowed
It is completely forbidden for ships belonging to private maritime rescue organizations to dock in Malta and take migrants ashore. No ship can simply decide to pick up migrants on its own, says Cutajar. From the Maltese government's perspective, NGO ships act "as an incentive for irregular migration" and increase it. Cutajar claims that they act almost like "taxi between Libya and Europe". This is completely unacceptable for Malta, the island's authorities explained to ARD. This position probably contributes to the low number of asylum seekers.
Lawyer Camilleri believes that Malta's restrictive approach is not the right way to go. She expresses concerns about respect for human rights. She also doubts that Malta as a country actually benefits from its strict policy. Since the island rescues very few people from the sea, it may eventually have to take in migrants from other EU countries or pay compensation. This is also part of the solidarity mechanism within the new Common European Asylum System.
Author: Lisa Weiss ARD