From the online comments

Refugee nurse who studied in Malta denied work in public health sector

Give Agnes Mudembo a nursing job, for heaven’s sake! And don’t delay. She well deserves it. – Mary-Ann Spiteri

We welcome Lilu Kings with open arms and treat them like kings, while at the same time we treat honest persons that have a lot to offer to our society like Agnes as if they were trash. Can we go any lower? Are we really that surprised that Malta has become a magnet for criminals, rather than honest-working people? – C. Refalo

I have no words. I pray for change. – Maria Taylor-East

Yes, we should pray and continue hoping that some humanity and common sense penetrates the dark corridors of the minds of the authorities and some of us. – Joseph Croker

Agnes Mudembo. Photo: Jonathan Borg

You can pray as much as you want but it won’t change anything. Legal action on the other had just might. This is so clearly illegal. For a start, why should MUMN decide if calls for foreign nurses are issued or not. It is obviously not their remit; as far as we know Paul Pace is no longer earning thousands as a consultant to the ministry, so why should he have any say in what are clearly administrative issues? Secondly, if she is legally able to apply for jobs in the private sector, why should the public sector be different? Unfortunately she obviously does not have the resources to do this and take it to the European court if necessary. – John Caruana

While change may be needed, one has to tread with care when making such changes, especially if one has in mind sweeping changes which would open all government’s employment opportunities in all sectors to third country refugees. – C. Xerri

Live in Malta for three years and you are Maltese enough to win gold medals! Hypocrisy rules! – Gordon Cook

If that person has been given protection, allowed to study and succeed here, then that person has the same right as you and I. – Christopher Richard

If that opens the doors to competent people to serve the public interests, instead of incompetent clowns stuffing their pockets with public funds, I promote and welcome the change. No questions asked. – J. Ruby

This is the shame and hypocrisy of this country – even jobs have become a political and money-making ball. We are okay to issue permits for hundreds of employees coming from certain countries where even qualifications are questionable; the most important thing is that these employees go through money-making agencies. Some hypocrites in this country will also call me racist cause I am not in favour of free, uncontrolled immigration simply because not all immigrants are genuine with intentions to integrate.

Here we have a genuine case of someone who escaped slavery, did things in a legal manner, embraced the education system, is qualified and ready to give back to the country that accepted her. Yet, guess what? She is being rejected in the most slimy way possible. – Alexander Galea

This is a waste of potential. She is a resilient, strong, and determined woman who went through hell and came out victorious. I’d rather have her as a fellow Maltese citizen than those Russian oligarchs who paid money to get their Maltese passport. – Danika Vella

This island is run by stupid bureaucratic people. We are so much in need of nurses, even getting them from Asian countries. Then we have a lady, legally living in Malta with local qualifications, and we do not employ her immediately. What a pathetic situation. – Charles Azzopardi