The authorities last year issued 27,549 residence permits for workers from non-EU countries, more than three times the number of the previous year, figures given in parliament show.

Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri gave the numbers in reply to a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Graziella Galea.

He said 10,178 third-country nationals were issued a permit in 2018; 12,644 in 2019; 6,592 in 2020; 8,060 in 2021 and 27,549 in 2022.  

The minister also referred the Nationalist MP to data given in reply to a previous parliamentary question showing that as of June this year, there were 36,906 EU and EFTA nationals and 67,531 third-country nationals working in Malta.

Times of Malta reported in August that the government had embarked on a series of measures to try to limit the number of non-EU nationals living in Malta. 

A few days later Prime Minister Robert Abela warned that the government would not support operators whose business model was solely focused on the importation of foreign workers.

In October the government announced a public consultation on plans that would require non-EU workers in hotels, bars and restaurants to get a €575 skills card to work in the tourism sector. Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo had said the “bold” move would drastically improve the quality of workers in the sector and ensure only those really needed were encouraged to move to Malta.

The Malta Employers' Association reported, also in October, that according to a survey one in four firms in the private sector reported that more than 50% of its employees were non-Maltese.