A gap in the government’s employment registration system which has left many migrants in limbo has prompted the African Media Association Malta to set up its own skills register.

“The present system excludes many migrants from registering for work. This new register has been created to fill this gap in the State’s system. “If JobsPlus was open to all, we would not need to do this,” association spokesman David Millner, who is coordinating the project, told this newspaper yesterday.

Migrants in Malta, except for the small percentage who upon seeking asylum are awarded refugee status, are not permitted to register for work with JobsPlus, Mr Millner said. They then often resort to accepting illegal, temporary, underpaid work. Through the recently established website The Skilled Migrant, migrants’ skills are recorded in interview form, making it easier for employers to identify prospective employees.

Mr Millner said that while it was still early, many migrants have already welcomed the move and are happy that something is being done to address the lacuna in the system.

There has been some criticism of the project – fuelled by racism, explains Mr Millner –with many expressing their thoughts on the project’s Facebook page. Through the project, the migrants’ skills are identified and these are then matched with the needs of employers, with the project serving as the link between the two, Mr Millner said.

“Interested employers should register with us and tell us what skills they need. In doing so, they will be giving a chance to marginalised minorities who are willing to do work others might consider beneath them,” he went on.

The NGO is also providing workshops and personal development training for migrants, to amplify and nurture their skills. The project is being handled by the association, with financial assistance by the Small Initiatives Support Scheme of the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector.

More information is available on www.theskilledmigrant.com.

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