Thoughts about immigration

The "Sofa Talk" think tank set up by the Centre for Labour Studies (CLS) and the Fredriech Ebert Stiftung (FES) recently discussed the issue of migration in Malta. It is a very delicate and controversial topic on which there lacks a clear national policy.

The meeting focused on a study that is currently being conducted by David Zammit. Although in recent years the islands have become increasingly cosmopolitan due to the influx of foreign workers mainly from Eastern Europe, the main concern for the Maltese is the phenomenon of the African boat people. This phenomenon escalated in 2002 and the reason behind this is apparently unknown to most people.

The general perception that these people are all illegal immigrants is being fuelled by the way in which the refugee law is being administered. It is failing in practice to discriminate between those who are illegal and those who are not, since its implementation is focused on charity rather than on legal rights. While only two per cent of the immigrants are granted refugee status the rest in some way or another remain in Malta whether they like it or not.

Prior to joining the EU most discourse was about the concern that southern European workers would eventually flood our tiny labour market. Ironically the first major issue that we are facing as a full member state is the one originating from Africa. However, does the influx of these immigrants pose a serious threat to our economy and identity? It seems that many African immigrants coming to Malta are skilled in various of the areas that we require most, for instance in the health sector. Many of them are trainable and can even learn Maltese in a very short time although it does not seem that they get offered any such education here. Paradoxically teaching them Maltese could strengthen our language. It has been pointed out that the GMB union in the UK has provided a section for immigrant workers and it even organises English language courses so that migrants could integrate easier into English society. Is the time ripe for local trade unions to follow suit?

A common lament about these African migrants in Malta is that they accept sub-standard conditions of employment and hence are preferred over Maltese workers. This threat is mostly related to those with humanitarian status and as mentioned earlier, charity may be used as an excuse to cover such an abuse. In referring to his studies Dr Zammit stated that in a way the migrants' participation in the informal economy seems to be the Maltese way of integration, synonymous with the local system of patronage.

Whether one likes it or not it is inevitable that Malta will develop into a more cosmopolitan nation. It has been suggested that treating these people better from the moment of their arrival in Malta would be payback in the long run by reducing their resentment towards our society.

The Think Tank shall be conducting a more in-depth study about immigration in Malta thanks to the support of the Fredrich Ebert Foundation.