Malta Sees Lowest Asylum Applications in Decade, Boat Arrivals Remain Stable
· Updated
In brief
- Malta recorded the lowest number of asylum applications in over ten years in the past year.
- Official figures indicate that illegal boat migrant arrivals in 2025 remained similar to the previous year.
- In 2025, 246 migrants arrived on 8 boats, compared to 238 migrants on 6 boats in 2024.
Malta has experienced its lowest number of asylum applications in more than a decade over the past year, according to official figures released on Friday.
Concurrently, illegal boat migrant arrivals in 2025 remained largely consistent with the previous year's figures. Data shows that 246 migrants arrived on 8 boats in 2025, a slight increase from 238 migrants who arrived on 6 boats in 2024.
These statistics were published by the National Statistics Office (NSO) to mark World Refugee Day. The European Union is also implementing stricter asylum procedures this year, which may influence future trends.
Newsbook highlighted the overall decrease in asylum applications, noting the significant drop over the last ten years. The Maltese Herald provided specific details regarding the number of boats and migrants arriving illegally by sea, offering a year-on-year comparison.
The consistent number of boat arrivals, despite the overall decrease in asylum applications, suggests a complex migration landscape for Malta.
The Spin Room
Low media divide. All outlets reported this development consistently without notable framing differences, focusing on official statistics.