During 2025, the Church celebrated the Jubilee Year of Hope in the Vatican. A series of formal and informal pilgrimages and activities in Rome encouraged the participation of thousands of Maltese pilgrims, particularly in Vatican City. To mention a few of the 37 thematic events, the Jubilee of Teenagers was held in April, and the Jubilee of Youth was held between July and August. Over 900 Maltese participants attended these two mentioned events.

The significant participation of Maltese citizens created the need for more effective coordination to ensure their safety and well-being during their travels.

Therefore, public officials from the Directorate for Consular Services and Maltese Abroad within the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism worked closely with the Embassy of Malta in Rome and the Ambassador of Malta to the Holy See to create a communication and assistance plan for pilgrims. This coordination was essential to provide Maltese citizens with clear and practical information before their journey, particularly on procedures to be followed in the event of emergencies, such as: the loss of documents, cases of theft, or health issues. The main aim was to ensure that every Maltese citizen could feel safeguarded even when away from home.

The Directorate prepared a specific leaflet in Maltese and English, which was posted on the website consularplus.gov.mtand distributed among religious communities and pilgrimage groups. Extensive meetings were also held with the Curia of Malta and Gozo to ensure that information reached the interested public in a uniform and reliable manner. Officers of the Directorate also participated in a number of broadcast programmes, in order to bring consular services closer to the public in a direct and accessible manner.

Thanks to the coordinated efforts of these public officials, no serious consular cases were recorded, and travelers’ awareness of those preparations and precautions needed before and during their travels increased. This was a demonstration of the commitment of Maltese institutions to protect their citizens, whether in Malta or abroad.