The government was committed to address fears of loss of jobs to migrants, while ensuring that workers of all nationalities were treated justly, Equal Liberties Minister Helena Dalli said this morning

The Social Dialogue Minister was speaking at a seminar organised by the International Organisation for Migration about the integration of migrant families.

During the conference, speakers shared good practices in other EU member states and Dr Dalli noted that migration remained a continuous topic of discussion in Malta.

Some people felt that the persistent migration flow negatively affected their and their children’s life, and several were vocal about this on social media, the minister said.

She noted  that this created a situation where it took some courage to speak about migration issues in public.

“We all stand to benefit from creating the right setup for migration,” Dr Dalli said, adding that society was sometimes blind to migrants' success stories. There were those, for example, who opened businesses and contributed to the Maltese economy.

The minister noted that, unfortunately, the words "problem" and "migration" were often used interchangeably.

“We need to take stock of all arguments and walk a few metres in each others’ shoes,” she insisted.

Dr Dalli also referred to the fear of loss of jobs to migrants in particular sectors, which, she said, needed to be investigated and addressed.

While the government was addressing such fears and issues of precarious work, it would not shy away from ensuring that no one’s employment prospects suffered as a result of migration, she said.