IOM Rome, in collaboration with the Maltese government, is
launching a seven-month pilot project in Malta to help failed
asylum seekers or other migrants who are not eligible for residence
to voluntarily return home.



The project, which will run until December 2006, is co-funded by
the European Refugee Fund (ERF), the Maltese Ministry for Justice
and Home Affairs and IOM.



The initiative will include four training-information sessions for
Maltese government officials, police officers and social workers.
The first of these took place this week.



The project will also fund the counselling, return and
reintegration of irregular migrants currently in Malta who choose
to voluntarily return home.



Over the coming weeks, IOM and Maltese social workers will work
with migrant reception centre managers in Malta to identify
potential beneficiaries from the project.



For more information, please contact:



Giulia Falzoi

IOM Rome

Tel.: +39.0644186226

E-mail: "">gfalzoi@iom.int