Editorial: Stop treating them like economy pluggers

Imagine leaving your homeland, uprooting your life and moving to a new country in search of safety and opportunity for your children.

You follow the legal route, only to discover that your children are not allowed to join you.

Still, you go – because there is no real choice. You take jobs far beneath your qualifications, filling labour shortages in a country that needs workers but won’t fully welcome you. You pay taxes, contribute to national insurance and help sustain an economy that depends on you.

Then, you’re told that if you bring your children to live with you, they will be considered illegal.

They will be barred from attending school, unless you earn at least 20% more per child than the national average salary.

You are promised free healthcare once all paperwork is in order, only to be handed a hospital bill when you need it most.

This is the harsh reality faced by many third-country nationals (TCNs) who come to Malta legally.

They arrive believing they are building a better future, only to find that the country they thought would offer them hope instead treats them as invisible.

They have families. They too have a right to seek a better life and enjoy family life.

What happened recently reminded us of the anxiety-provoking reality many of these non-EU workers in Malta endure – due to the uncertainty that hovers over them.

There could be a policy change at any time or day that pulls the rug from under their feet.

Last week, we heard how dozens of TCNs were shocked when they were told they had to pay hundreds of euros for their sick children’s care, despite being entitled to it (because they paid a national insurance contribution for a year). Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela intervened and said this was the result of a “mix-up”.    

Why did they really worry when someone at the hospital told them they had to pay? Because this sort of sudden change happened before.

Last year, many TCNs who were once allowed to get work permits (to which their residence permit is linked), had their permits refused because the government suddenly decided to curb the influx of food couriers and taxi drivers.

Even the threshold that allows them to be reunited with their children is fluid. The national average and median salaries get recalculated, resulting in families no longer hitting that extra 20 per cent target.

Earlier this year, we heard how dozens of families who legally moved to Malta had children frozen out of school because of a paperwork limbo.

This happened before.

In 2019, a group of non-EU families were told they could no longer keep their children here, since they did not have enough money to sustain them.

The Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Malta has called out this injustice.

TCNs make up 20% of the workforce in Malta, filling gaps that are key to maintaining a thriving economy. Yet, many are facing daily challenges that remain ignored. One of them is brought about by the stringent family reunification policies.

The Church called for more humane policies which recognise that these are people and not economy-pluggers. These are people who need peace of mind.

They need policies that are communicated clearly to all involved and are not shifted on a whim. They deserve to plan their future, even if it’s for the short or medium term.

The Malta Labour Migration Policy is currently out for consultation. Let’s hope it puts to an end the injustices we have seen too often.