Vacancy in the International Protection Agency

Ref: IPA/2026/02
Permit 621/2023

Position	Protection Officer I
Reports to	As appropriate: Senior Protection Officer or Manager
Responsible for

The International Protection Agency (IPA) serves as the competent national authority responsible for receiving, registering, determining responsibility, and examining applications for international protection. The Agency’s mandate is to ensure that all applications are processed fairly, efficiently, and in full compliance with national legislation and European Union law.

1. Job Profile

The Protection Officer I is primarily responsible for assisting applicants at the registration, facilitating the lodging of applications for international protection, and providing information on the asylum procedure in line with the relevant legal framework. The role also involves supporting the implementation of the Dublin III Regulation procedure, conducting interviews with applicants, undertaking a legal and factual analysis of claims, and drafting decisions on applications for international protection in accordance with established procedures and applicable law.

2. Duties and Responsibilities

The Protection Officer I will be assigned to one of the following Sections— the Procedures, Data & Information, Dublin /AMMR, Flow or Qualification — and will be responsible for the following tasks, as applicable:

Candidates are invited to express their preferences, which will be taken into consideration. However, final placement will be determined based on the operational needs and exigencies of the services, as well as the suitability of candidates and their order of merit. Personnel may be reassigned from one Section to another within the Agency as required. The duties and responsibilities outlined in the job description may be subject to modification in line with developments arising from the implementation of the New Asylum Pact or other legislative or structural changes affecting the Agency.

Common Duties:

Update individual case records and relevant databases to ensure that all data and information is captured for analytical purposes.
Perform any task ancillary to the assessment of an application for international protection.
Participate in training courses, meetings, and conferences both locally and abroad, as required, and take minutes.
Perform other office duties such as, but not limited to, typing of documents, filing and minuting to ensure that information is recorded accurately and efficiently.
Ensure proper filing of sensitive information in compliance with data protection rules.

Procedures:

Receive applicants for international protection daily at Front Desk to assist them with a variety of procedures, such as, the making of their applications for international protection, renewal of their Asylum Seeker’s Document, various queries, etc.
Assist applicants with lodging their application for international protection by filling in the appropriate forms.
Provide detailed information to the applicant on the registration process, the asylum procedure, the rights and obligations of applicants for international protection, the outcome of the application, and the rights and benefits emanating from international protection.
Perform any task ancillary to the registration and lodging of the application for international protection.
Perform any task ancillary to information provision.

Dublin / AMMR:

Assist in the effective running of the Dublin Unit under the direction of management.
Conduct interviews with applicants for international protection for the purposes of the Dublin Regulation procedure.
Determine, according to the criteria of the Dublin Regulation, which Member State is responsible for the examination of an application for international protection.
Process incoming and outgoing requests in line with the Dublin Regulation and as instructed by management.
Liaise with other stakeholders both locally and abroad involved in the Dublin process as directed by management.
Perform any task ancillary to the Dublin Regulation procedure.

Qualification:

Conduct personal interviews with applicants for international protection according to established guidelines and standards.
Carry out the necessary research in relation to the Country of Origin Information related to Personal Interviews and Assessments.
Conduct a legal analysis of the applicant’s claim according to applicable legislation and guidelines.
Draft decisions relating to the granting and withdrawal of international or national protection, or relating to the discontinuation of an application, according to established legislation, guidelines, and standards.
Perform any task ancillary to the Qualification Procedure.

Data & Information:

Enter information accurately into the official database, ensuring regular updates and the extraction of statistical information as required.
Maintain accurate and up-to-date records within the official database, including the timely and precise input of all required data.
Carry out quality checks in the official database by verifying data against supporting documentation and following established validation procedures to ensure data integrity.
Identify and report any errors or inconsistencies in documents or database entries in accordance with official memos and procedures and ensure that corrections are completed by the responsible staff.
Respond to queries from other authorities and stakeholders regarding the status of clients and related matters.
Prepare and issue statistical reports as required.
Assist in the digitisation and organisation of paper files.
Provide support on matters related to information technology as required.

Flow:

Open, update, and close asylum cases in the digital available system.
Monitor case progress to ensure timely processing.
Assign cases to appropriate officers or sections based on workload and expertise.
Ensure adherence to internal procedures, deadlines, and quality standards.
Maintain accurate records of all case activities, decisions, and communications.
Liaise between different Sections within the Agency to facilitate smooth case handling.
Liaise between different stakeholders
Respond to internal and external queries regarding case status.

3. Requirements

3.1 Eligibility

1. By the closing time and date of this call for applications, applicants must:
  a) Be citizens of Malta; or
  b) Be citizens of other Member States of the European Union who are entitled to equal treatment to Maltese citizens in matters of employment by virtue of EU legislation and treaty provisions dealing with the free movement of workers; or
  c) Be citizens of any other country who are entitled to equal treatment to Maltese citizens in matters related to employment by virtue of the application to that country of EU legislation and treaty provisions dealing with the free movement of workers; or
  d) Be any other persons who are entitled to equal treatment to Maltese citizens in matters related to employment in terms of the law or the above-mentioned EU legislation and treaty provisions, on account of their family relationship with persons mentioned in paragraph (a), (b) or (c); or
  e) Be third country nationals who have been granted long-term resident status in Malta under regulation 4 of the “Status of Long-Term Residents (Third Country Nationals) Regulations, 2006” or who have been granted a residence permit under regulation 18(3) thereof, together with family members of such third country nationals who have been granted a residence permit under the “Family Reunification Regulations, 2007”.

The advice of the Department of Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs within the Identity Malta Agency should be sought as necessary in the interpretation of the above provisions.

The appointment of candidates referred to in (b), (c), (d) and (e) above would necessitate the issue of an employment licence in so far as this is required by the Immigration Act and subsidiary legislation. Jobsplus should be consulted as necessary on this issue.

2. Have an excellent knowledge of written and spoken English.

3. Be in possession of a recognised Bachelor’s degree at MQF Level 6 (subject to a minimum of 180 ECTS/ECVET credits, or equivalent) in relevant areas to be specified or a comparable professional qualification in any of the following subjects/disciplines awarded by an accredited institution: law, migration, international relations, European studies, political science, sociology, anthropology, youth and community studies, criminology, history, gender studies, Mediterranean studies, African Studies, Middle Eastern studies, social policy.

4. Meet the character requirements for the duties involved.1

1 Before appointment, the successful candidate shall be asked to provide proof of a non-existent criminal record.

Nota Bene: Qualifications with an MQIRC statement.

1. With the exception of those qualifications referred to in the following paragraphs (2 & 3), applicants are required to produce a recognition statement by the Malta Qualifications Recognition Information Centre (MQRIC) within the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority, which is to be obtained by submitting an online “Application for the Recognition of Qualifications” at https://mfhea.mt/academic-qualifications/. Such statement should be attached to the application and the original presented at the interview.

2. Prior to requesting recognition statements as described above in respect of their qualifications, candidates should first consult the “Malta Qualifications Database” of the MFHEA which can be accessed on http://qualifications.ncfhe.gov.mt/#/dashboard. Applicants are exempt from submitting a recognition statement if they are presenting qualifications listed therein. A print of such list including the qualification is to be presented by the applicant.

3. No recognition statement by MQRIC is required in respect of qualifications issued by Maltese self-accrediting institutions, these being the University of Malta, MCAST and ITS; or any Maltese qualification that has been accredited by the MFHEA, which on the certificate’s states: ‘The Malta Further and Higher Education Authority deems this certificate to be MQF ________’.

4. In the case of qualifications not covered above, applicants are to submit the recognition statement as described earlier. Applicants who are not in possession of such a statement may still apply, provided that they submit a copy of the statement to IPA as soon as it is available, and, in any case, by not later than four (4) months from the closing date of the call for applications. Applicants may be assessed provisionally whilst still awaiting MQRIC equivalence of their qualification/s. Should the equivalence report be in the negative or not presented within four (4) months from the closing date of the call for applications, such applicants will be disqualified from the selection process. Moreover, subject to availability of vacancies, appointment cannot be made before the positive equivalence report is received from MQRIC.

5. In the case of those candidates who have not yet been formally awarded a degree, these would be expected to produce satisfactory evidence from the University concerned that they have, in fact, been approved by the University for the award of a degree. Nonetheless the above provisions still apply.

3.2 Advantageous

1. Proven professional experience of at least one year full-time in the field of migration and/or asylum.

2. Proficiency in any one of the following languages: Arabic, French, Spanish.

3. Proven knowledge of international asylum law, the Common European Asylum System, and the national framework for asylum.

4. Recruitment Process

4.1 Identifying eligible applicants

After the deadline for submission of applications, the Selection Board will verify the submitted applications against the eligibility requirements described in the previous section. Applications satisfying these conditions will then be assessed through an interview/s.

The selection procedure may be organised online.

4.2 Evaluation during interviewing process

Candidates invited to the interviewing process (interview)will be assessed on the basis of the advantageous requirements described in sections 3.2, and the following additional criteria relevant to the post:

Candidates who are successful in the interviewing process will be included on the placement list.

5. Verification of supporting documents

Candidates will be required to present originals or certified copies of the documents listed below to confirm the accuracy and eligibility of the application against their supporting documents:

A document proving their identity and citizenship.
Academic qualifications mentioned in the application.
Professional experience mentioned in the application.

Without prejudice to the above, a scanned copy of all supporting documentation confirming eligibility as listed above is to be submitted together with the completed IPA application form referred to in section 8.

6. Establishing the placement list

A placement list will be established based on the outcome of the assessment phase and will remain valid for a period of one year from the date of its establishment.
Candidates are to note that inclusion on the reserve list does not guarantee recruitment. Recruitment will be based on availability of posts and budget.

7. Conditions of employment

The Protection Officer I shall be appointed by the Chief Executive Officer, upon recommendation of the Selection Board, following the selection procedure. He/she will be recruited in line with Directive 7 as applicable to the International Protection Agency.

The appointment is subject to a probationary period of twelve (12) months.
The salary for the post of Protection Officer I is in Grade E, which in the year 2026 is equivalent to €26,505, per annum, rising by annual increments of €425 up to a maximum of €29,055 plus a non-pensionable allowance of €1,900 per annum.
The successful candidates will be given training both by the Agency and the European Union Asylum Agency.

8. Application procedure

Interested candidates are required to fill in the IPA application form and send it in pdf format to [email protected] by 17th February 2026 at 17:00 (CET). IPA will disregard any application received after this date and time. Applicants are strongly advised not to wait until the date of the deadline to submit their applications. IPA shall not be held responsible for any delays in submission of applications due to technical difficulties or any other factors that may arise.

If a candidate is found to have provided false information at any stage in the selection procedure, IPA is within its capacity to disqualify the candidate in question.