SERIES: EU Pact on Migration and Asylum In October 2020, a broad coalition of non-governmental organizations released a comprehensive joint statement expressing deep concern over the European Commission’s proposed Pact on Migration and Asylum. While the Commission presented the framework as a fresh start and a balanced compromise, the NGO community argued that the proposal failed to rectify the structural flaws of the existing European asylum system and threatened to severely

SERIES: EU Pact on Migration and Asylum The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum is presented by the European Union as a major reform of the European asylum system. Its official objective is to make migration management more efficient, predictable and harmonised across Member States. However, from a human rights perspective, the Pact raises serious concerns. In a statement published on 10 June 2026, the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) warned that the Pact may restri

A growing coalition of civil society organisations and business representatives has called on Parliament to postpone its final vote on Malta's proposed National Commission for Human Rights and Equality Bill, arguing that legislation of such constitutional importance should not be approved without meaningful public consultation. Malta Parliament House. Photo CC Pressure mounted on Wednesday after a coalition of 16 human rights organisations urged Equality Minister Rosianne Cut

SERIES: EU Pact on Migration and Asylum In the European Union, the passport a person holds can drastically alter their legal journey before their individual story is fully heard. With the implementation of the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, the bloc has introduced a standardized metric to filter and fast-track arrivals known as the 20% recognition rate threshold. Source screenshot: https://www.euaa.europa.eu/latest-asylum-trends-annual-analysis/annexes#key-first-instan

SERIES: EU Pact on Migration and Asylum The initial screening is the first step in the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, then comes several possible follow-up procedures. Screening is therefore not the final stage, but rather a sorting mechanism that determines what happens next to people arriving irregularly at the EU’s external borders. This article focuses on the three main procedures that may follow screening: the regular asylum procedure, the asylum border procedure

SERIES: EU Pact on Migration and Asylum The European Pact on Migration and Asylum introduces a new screening procedure for certain third-country nationals arriving in the European Union. Although it may sound like a simple administrative step, screening is one of the most important parts of the Pact. It determines what happens immediately after a person arrives at the EU’s borders, and which procedure they will be directed to next. Representation of the screening procedure (S

Visitors to this year’s Malta International Food Festival will have the opportunity to experience the richness and diversity of African cultures through music, storytelling, languages, traditional crafts and cuisine as African communities take part in the festival’s Intercultural Area on 6 August. People interacting at the African stand. Picture from the year 2025 edition of Malta Food Festival. Photo AMAM The participation forms part of the festival’s intercultural programm

SERIES: EU Pact on Migration and Asylum After years of complex negotiations, the European Union has adopted the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum that entered in vigour on 12 June 2026. Representation of the 4 pillars (Source: European Commission Migration and Home Affairs) This landmark agreement is built on four fundamental pillars : The first pillar secures the EU’s external borders to manage arrivals effectively. All individuals crossing irregularly will undergo mandatory

Every generation inherits something. For many first-generation migrants, the greatest legacy may not be what we accumulate for ourselves, but the starting point we intentionally create for those who come after us. Not all journeys begin from the same starting line. Living and working alongside both migrant and local communities has reminded me that while talent, determination, and hard work matter immensely, the opportunities available at the beginning of life's journey often