Arrival of 100 Kosovar Refugees

Around 100 refugees from the Serb province of Kosovo arrived in Malta today, Tuesday, 25 May 1999 after the Maltese Government acceded to a request made by the U.N.H.C.R. and issued 100 temporary visas for these refugees.

The refugees, most of them children and single mothers, left Macedonia by Air Malta at 1900 and arrived at Malta International Airport at 2050. The Minister for Home Affairs, Dr Tonio Borg, welcomed the refugees. He said that the Maltese Government was offering 100 free temporary visas for these refugees, and had also made arrangements to provide free educational and medical services.

The flight (KSB 6314 on a Boeing 737 200) was operated with the co-operation of Air Malta, the Ministry for Home Affairs, the Emigrants Commission (operational partner of the U.N.H.C.R.) MIA and Enemalta.

When deciding upon the number of refugees to host, the Ministry took into consideration the geographical and other limitations of the island especially the density of the population. Malta's offer of 100 visas compares very favourably with other countries.