Malta still has no plan for migration and the lack of long-term planning is prompting tension between Maltese and foreigners, Nationalist Party leadership candidate Chris Said argued this morning. 

In a statement, Dr Said bemoaned what he said was the "haphazard" way in which foreign workers were being lured to Malta. While it was "not a bad thing" that Malta was becoming increasingly cosmopolitan, he said, the government had no strategy as to how many workers were needed in each particular sector over a period of time. 

The PN leadership candidate noted that employers themselves said that many Maltese would rather not do certain jobs, adding that in some cases employers in some sectors could hire foreign workers at cheaper rates than locals.

READ: Malta used to be safe, now it's a human trafficking hub - Delia

"When a Maltese worker asks for a raise, they are threatened with dismissal. This is unacceptable: the concept of ‘equal pay for equal work’ is simply empty talk for the government," Dr Said argued. 

The Gozo lawyer also wondered what would happen to Malta once Italy started refusing irregular migrants, and said that in places such as Marsa, St Paul's Bay, Buġibba and Birżebbuġa, integration had failed. 

READ: Malta needs many more foreign workers, officials say

"Maltese are not racist, but lack of long-term planning is creating tension between migrants and Maltese," he said. 

Dr Said pledged to give migration priority if elected PN leader this coming weekend. 

Earlier today, the government announced that it was slamming the brakes on plans to relocate migrants at Marsa open centre to Ħal Far, following complaints by Birżebbuġa residents. 

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