The term ‘human trafficking’ conjures up images of vans filled with women being transported for prostitution purposes; Or of trucks of workers driven across borders for cheap labour.
These stereotypes often take place in far-away countries such as Colombia or Afghanistan. But we need to start thinking closer to home.
Human trafficking is taking place on Maltese shores. Last week the government launched Malta’s first national anti-trafficking strategy that will seek to better protect human trafficking victims.
The National Anti-Trafficking Strategy will be implemented over seven years (2024-2030), with actions of its National Action Plan to be implemented over four years (2024-2027).
The question: is four years fast enough?
According to the 2021 report issued by the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, 44 victims of human trafficking were formally identified between 2017 and 2020. The bulk – 77 per cent – were victims of labour exploitation, followed by trafficking for sexual exploitation.
The ones who have been identified are the tip of the iceberg. If we have a good look around us, we will hear (and see) overworked and underpaid third-country nationals in sectors that include caring, cleaning, construction and food delivery.
The latter recently made the headlines when food couriers went on strike and spoke about how they were struggling to make ends meet after the platform slashed delivery wages.
Employment Minister Byron Camilleri endorsed the strike, and Social Dialogue Parliamentary Secretary Andy Ellul encouraged them to report unfair treatment.
While not labelled ‘human trafficking’, this highlighted the reality faced by several third-country nationals in Malta. The plight of some might not be as visible as that of the food couriers.
As things stand, TCNs who are trafficked are either employed regularly with a single work permit (employment-related residence permit), or they are irregular.
There is currently little data on the link between asylum and trafficking. As the strategy report notes, it is acknowledged that the approximate 9,000 refugees, 4,000 asylum-seekers, and 5,000 irregular migrants from African countries residing in Malta are vulnerable to trafficking in the country’s informal labour market.
The strategy hopes to address this – by launching training to enhance the identification of such victims. The launch will happen in two years.
Then there are those workers who are in Malta with a single work permit. The strategy document notes that the direct link between obtaining residence permits and employment contracts in Malta via the single work permit “seems to contribute to increasing the vulnerability of the migrant workers who are unlikely to report abusive working conditions because of fear of losing their residence permit which is tied to the work permit”.
As things stand, if a TCN is a victim of human trafficking, the law allows for Malta to give a residence permit to cooperative victims for six months. After this, the TCN will either leave Malta or is given a chance to apply for a single work permit again.
The strategy will conduct an assessment to determine the possibility of expanding the grounds for granting temporary residence permits to victims of human trafficking, based on their personal situation.
This all sounds very promising. But according to the strategy document, it will take three years. What will change remains unknown as it will emerge following the assessment.
Three years is a long time for anyone who is overworked, underpaid, exploited and scared to speak up.