Foreigners planning on living in Malta will be encouraged to start integrating before moving here as part of a new integration strategy for the next five years.

The strategy – which has been launched for public consultation - also proposes countering misinformation in the media and political discourse.

It is the second such strategy, with the first one being launched in 2017. This new action plan is the result of a working group made up of local council representatives, Identity Malta, the Police Force and people from the refugee community. It was led by the Human Rights Directorate.

The final document is expected to be finalised by the end of the year.

Addressing the launch on Wednesday, Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms and Equality Rebecca Buttigieg said since 2017, some 4,000 people enrolled in Maltese and English language classes, in line with the current integration strategy.

Over the years, Malta’s foreign population continued to increase, with the latest census data showing there are now over 115,000 non-Maltese nationals in Malta - just over 22 per cent of the total population. This figure stood at a little over 20,000 people in 2011 (under five per cent).

The increase in foreign nationals in Malta is a social and economic reality, Buttigieg said, adding that a national action plan for integration would also address the creation of more secure communities.

Integration needed to be addressed in a way that moved away from misinformation, Buttigieg said.

“We cannot let racism take root. Education and integration are the best weapons against blind prejudice,” she added.

At the launch of the public consultation, Alexander Tortell from the Human Rights Directorate said the new strategy’s framework is underpinned, among others, by the principle of mainstreaming integration policies. This means that everyone’s needs and experiences are considered when it comes to policy development in its various stages of implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

According to the consultation document, integration governance should involve not only central government but also regional and local councils and civil society organisations, with the ultimate aim being integration in all spheres of society wherever migrants are.

The document up for public consultation is available in Maltese here. It will soon be available online also in English. It is not known whether there are plans to make the document available in other languages spoken by various foreign communities in Malta.  

Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms and Equality  Rebecca Buttigieg. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Among others, the strategy proposes:

• Capitalising on online pre-departure integration measures, which are services provided in countries of origin aimed at supporting subsequent integration of migrants in the countries of destination.
• Create an integration one-stop-shop to avoid fragmentation.
• Invest in accredited training courses addressing cultural mediation to help cultivate a higher level of acceptance within the receiving society.
• Mainstream integration policies and measures that contribute towards assuring a sense of belonging.
• Identify effective and sustainable platforms for dialogue between stakeholders.

The public consultation period closes on June 30.