Malta records lowest asylum applications in over a decade

In 2025 Malta received 545 asylum applications, a 22.3% drop from 2024 and the lowest total in more than ten years, marking the fifth consecutive annual decline. By the end of December, 1,415 cases were pending, down 5.5% from the previous year. Seven boat arrivals brought 246 people to the islands, a 3.4% increase over 2024. Migrants from Bangladesh made up the majority of arrivals, while Syrian nationals accounted for 22.9% of all applicants, the largest nationality group. The first‑instance recognition rate stood at 40%, the thirteenth lowest among EU states. Of the 188 appeals examined by the asylum tribunal, 95.7% were rejected, one of the lowest acceptance rates in the bloc. During the year, 36 asylum seekers were relocated to other EU member states, two were resettled outside the Union, and 23 returned to their countries of origin through assisted voluntary return programmes.