An asylum seeker has been denied the opportunity to take his driving test despite the fact that he had previously received the go-ahead from Transport Malta officials.
George* is an asylum seeker from Bosnia who fled the country due to persecution because of his sexual orientation and has lived in Malta since 2019 as his case remains pending in front of the International Protection Agency.
Speaking to Times of Malta, he said that, after he was assured that his status allowed him to work legally in Malta, he set about to inquire as to whether it was possible for him to acquire a driver’s license, both to aid his ability to travel around the island as well as to seek better employment opportunities.
George sent his documentation to Transport Malta asking about his eligibility to acquire a driver’s licence. The regulator replied that, as long as his asylum seeker document is valid, then so would his learner’s permit and advised him to sit for both his theory and driving tests before his document expires.
After that, a learner’s permit, which allows unlicensed drivers to go to driving lessons, was issued to George by Transport Malta and he attended a number of lessons in preparation for his driving test.
However, when George attempted to take his theory test last October, he was prevented from doing so by officials at the testing centre.
I am not asking for special treatment, only what seems to me a basic right
After relaying the issue back to Transport Malta, a customer support agent informed him that a Maltese driver’s licence could only be issued to a person in possession of a Maltese identity card or a Maltese residence permit.
George estimates that he spent some €400 in total preparing to take his driving test, consisting of the €70 it costs to apply for the learner’s permit and the 15 driving lessons he attended at €22 each.
The situation has left him in a frustrating position as he feels stuck since the ability to drive should he need to is a basic necessity.
“I am not asking for special treatment, only what seems to me a basic right,” George said.
Without a licence, he said he is limited in what locations he could realistically go to work in. Furthermore, he believes that not owning a car is holding him back from taking up jobs that could better his situation.
“Almost always the question ‘do you have a car’ comes up in an interview and I have to say no,” George said.
“Even on the rare occasion that a company says they will provide me with a car to get to work, I still do not have a licence that allows me to drive it. It feels like I’m stuck. It’s a bit of an absurd situation.”
At the time of publication, Transport Malta had not replied to questions sent by Times of Malta.
The transport watchdog was asked to clarify whether George has a right to a Maltese driving licence or not and, if not, why was this not communicated clearly to him. The regulator was also asked why it had issued him with a learner’s permit if he was not entitled to a licence.
*The name has been changed to protect the identity.