The article ‘Immigrants outnumber natural population growth’ (July 11) fails to mention how many non-EU immigrants leave Malta once they have an EU work permit.

Immigrants from the Philippines, for example, pay €4,000 to obtain a permit to work, say, in the hotel industry as housekeepers. Some are very qualified, like being midwives. The agent in the Philippines knows which EU countries need certain skills and those with such skills get directed to those countries as general workers, then, once there, they produce their qualifications to the employment department knowing they need such skills and obtain an EU work permit. They can then work anywhere in Europe and most move elsewhere within the EU.

Most would find it easier to apply for work, say, in Canada once in possession of an EU work permit. Having an EU work permit classifies them as EU citizens, so they would not be recorded as non-EU migrants, thus distorting figures and giving the public and voters incorrect information about increases in non-EU migration.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.