Asylum claims lodged in Malta in 2022 were lower than in the previous year, despite a growing number of crossings through the treacherous Central Mediterranean route. Detections of boat migrants attempting the deadly route rose by over 50% to 106,000 in 2022, making it the second busiest route for asylum seekers into Europe. In a sign of the growing fatalities of the route, detections outnumbered asylum claims in Italy and Malta, the two countries along this route. While asylum claims lodged in Malta were lower than in the previous year – 444 sea arrivals compared to 832 – applications in Italy increased by over one-half in 2022. In 2022, Malta granted refugee status or subsidiary protection in just 6% of total decisions.
