More social rights to migrants ‘add to Malta’s difficulties’

New European rules giving migrants more social rights are bad news for Malta even though the migrants will be able to move freely between countries, according to the Home Affairs Ministry.

Malta alone opposed the changes that gave refugees and people with subsidiary protection status the right to obtain a residence permit after five years, on the same lines as legally-residing non-EU nationals.

Human rights activists have welcomed the rules since they will enable migrants to participate more fully in community life and become less dependent on welfare.

However, a spokesman for the Home Affairs Ministry said the changes, which will come into effect in two years’ time, would not ease the pressures on Malta and would not result in any substantial benefit to the beneficiaries of international protection.

“It is foreseen that this would add to the difficulties and financial burden Malta is already carrying in hosting a large number of migrants from third countries, including beneficiaries of international protection, and this in proportion to its size,” he said, adding the granting of long-term residence status was not automatic.

He insisted a person would have to be already integrated in Malta in order to qualify.

“The difficulties Malta experiences in the asylum sphere result from the fact that its limited labour market, coupled with demographic factors, makes integration difficult. That is the reason why, over the last few years, the government has consistently insisted on the need of intra-EU resettlement.”

But what seems to be bad news for the government is good news for lawyer Neil Falzon, who heads the newly-formed human rights organisation Aditus.

He disagrees with the government’s interpretation, insisting the changes address a major Maltese concern since migrants who acquired long-term residence status could freely move to other EU states.

“Malta has had to deal with what it feels is a huge burden of migrants who are stuck here and the changes solve this problem because long-term residents will now be able to move out of the country,” Dr Falzon said.

Describing the changes as “a good move”, he said migrants would gain greater access to the labour market, which would make them financially more independent and less of a burden on the country’s welfare system.

He admitted the package of rights was more onerous on the country but insisted the very scope of the directive was to enable the integration of migrants.

“Malta would have to adopt a coherent policy on integration, something the country has lacked,” Dr Falzon said.

The EU directive granting long-term residence status to non-EU citizens has long been in place but the latest changes extend the rights to people in the asylum process.

The changes will benefit refugees and those enjoying subsidiary protection such as Somalis and Eritreans. This means that not all migrants in Malta will be eligible for long-term residence status.

The directive grants non-EU nationals equal treatment as Maltese citizens in a wide range of economic and social areas, including free education, access to the labour market without the need of work permits and social security benefits.