On Sunday 9 September 2018 the Directorate of Immigration at Luxembourg's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs confirmed that five asylum seekers - four Eritreans and one Somali - have arrived in Luxembourg from Malta.

This is the culmination of a relocation operation carried out in response to the call for solidarity expressed by the Republic of Malta following the arrival on 15 August 2018 of 141 migrants aboard the humanitarian ship Aquarius at port of Valletta. Luxembourg, like five other EU member states, responded favourably to this call, pledging to welcome five migrants from Aquarius.

Representatives from the Immigration Directorate and the Luxembourg Office for Reception and Integration (OLAI), under the supervision of the Ministry of Family and Integration, welcomed the people at Luxembourg airport yesterday. Prior to this, in August, representatives of the Directorate of Immigration travelled to Malta to conduct interviews to identify migrants who clearly needed international protection.

Relocated international protection applicants travel to Luxembourg for the asylum procedure as provided for by the law of 18 December 2015 on international protection and temporary protection. The OLAI take care of the reception and the social supervision of these refugees and will support them in their steps of the daily life throughout the procedure of their application for international protection.