It’s not as if all workers matter

It is heartening to hear that there were more than 300 submissions related to the draft policy on migrant labour. Considering that the economy has thrived on exploiting unregulated migrant labour for years, such a policy was long overdue.

The plot since has been clear enough. Get them to come over. Lure them into thinking that paradise lost has been found. Many succumb to the siren call, fleeced to the bone by agencies in their home country in cahoots with their local counterparts. Some sign contracts that remain valid until their plane takes off. Once in Malta, penniless and defenceless, they are forced to sign fresh contracts they cannot refuse.

Many are bundled into so-called accommodations with a bed they can sleep in on a shift basis. They are made to work with meagre wages while their masters make millions.

Many conveniently turn a blind eye. Migrant people have become a necessary collateral of an economy on steroids. To add insult to injury, the poor souls are told to go back to their country every time we need a scapegoat to vent our frustrations on. They get the blame for low wages when the culprits are their unscrupulous employers. 

Rightist political narrative is on overdrive, from socialists no less. Migrants are blamed for overpopulation, queues at the emergency department and crowds at bus stops when the blame resides elsewhere. Well integrated migrants living here for years, some with children born in Malta, end up bullied into the next flight to hell because some politician wants to be seen to mean business.

The cold-blooded murder of Lassana Cisse was much more than a mere coincidence.

The above is a glimpse into what should be our national litany of shame. That article 1 in our constitution speaks of “ a democratic republic built on work and on respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual” is of little consequence. For some, this depends on who you are.  

The policy drafted to regulate migrant labour rested on four guiding principles: retention and stability, protection of employee rights, aligning labour migration with labour market needs and a skills-based approach to migration.

Migrants deserve well-being as much as we do- Mario Mallia

While the draft policy was an attempt in the right direction, the final policy should go the extra mile. The onslaught by the Trumps, Le Pens and AfDs of this world, that pin the blame on migrants for any problem ranging from neighbourhood cats to faulty air traffic control and crime, is getting louder by the minute. A counter-narrative which prioritised humanity over self-interest is sorely needed. It would sound groundbreaking. It would provide a clear and unequivocal message that cuts right through the foreboding dread that hangs in the air. 

An eventual migrant labour policy needs to place the rights of migrant workers clearly at the forefront and in bold letters, from which the other three principles follow. Retention and stability as a pillar follow because, above all, they provide dignity and community. Migrant workers do not remain disposable commodities. The alignment of labour migration with labour market needs becomes important not because of overpopulation considerations, as pertinent as they might be, but primarily to avoid an oversupply of migrant workers that exacerbates their exploitation. 

A skills-based approach as the last pillar should translate primarily into occupations which guarantee a good standard of living to migrants and their families, rather than a mere matching exercise that suits our needs.

The difference here is not cosmetic. It is fundamental. Article 1 of the constitution will start counting for all not just for some.

Migrants deserve well-being as much as we do. Our focus should be to make them feel welcome, respected and fulfilled, rekindling their hope and, indeed, our own, in humanity.

In more ways than one, we will be doing ourselves a favour.

Mario Mallia is an educator and deputy secretary general of ADPD.