The government has announced the setting up of a specialised unit to crack down on the illegal employment of non-EU nationals amid growing concerns that exploitation of foreign workers is on the rise.
The move came about through a legal notice published last week under which a “reporting unit” will be set up within Identity Malta, the State agency which handles matters relating to passports, travel and identity documents, and residence permits.
The unit will be entrusted with the inspection of illegally staying and illegally employed third-country (non-EU) employees and students.
The unit shall be empowered to enter without previous notice, at any reasonable time, any premises where third-country nationals are employed, residing or studying, including school premises and places for the provision of private tuition or distance learning.
These random inspections must be carried out with the assistance of the police. Attempts to obstruct the unit from carrying its duties, or giving false information, could result in a fine of up to €5,000, imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both.
A few weeks ago, UĦM Voice of the Workers CEO Josef Vella warned that the issue of precarious employment in Malta was at an all-time high, saying that foreign workers were being paid as little as €1 an hour. Moreover, he said, in certain cases, the little money workers were being paid was not going in their pockets but to an agency in India.
Precarious employment in Malta at an all-time high
The union warned that this trend was negatively impacting wages in general, while advocating the implementation of the principle of ‘equal pay for jobs of equal value’.
Apart from the UĦM, even the Nationalist Party has been expressing concern on the increasing reliance on cheap labour, especially in sectors like the construction industry and tourism.
Asked by this newspaper on the reasons why the government felt the need to enact such a legal notice, a spokeswoman at the Prime Minister’s Office said this was part of an effort “to be more equipped to face the developing challenges of a vibrant economy like ours”.
She added that this specialised unit had been announced in the 2019 Budget.
“Identity Malta Agency will be setting up a Reporting Unit as according to LN 112 of 2019 in order to ensure that the relevant laws that fall within the remit of the agency, in particular the legal migration process, are adhered to,” she said.
As for the resources which will be made available, the spokeswoman said that Identity Malta would examine all operational needs for the efficient setting up of this section.
Apart from doing inspections, the new unit may ask any person to produce documents and report the findings of its investigations to the police, who could in turn take criminal action.