Local
200 refugees to be resettled in the US
By MaltaMedia News
May 11, 2007 - 3:19:34 PM

Around 200 refugees will be resettled in the United States (US)  to ease Malta's illegal immigration burdens. At present, around 700 immigrants are residents of detention centers, while a further 1,700 are open centre residents.

There are also plans for the US government to resettle 200 immigrants from Malta every year through an initiative steered by the UN High Commission for Refugees.

The imitative is targeted at refugees or migrants in need of humanitarian protection, excluding economic migrants. Main beneficiaries will be vulnerable groups, like children and single women, sources told The Times.

The refugees are to be resettled in the upcoming months.  The initiative is considered to be unique as UNHCR normally does not resettle refugees from developed countries, but from Third World countries.

To date, the Netherlands, Germany and Lithuania have also taken refugees from Malta.

Read more about this issue on MaltaMedia's special feature: Lanċa Ġejja u Oħra Sejra: Malta and its migrations.