A Serbian doctor serving at Mater Dei Hospital has to work overtime to meet the financial requirements to keep both his wife and child in Malta.
Despite being employed as an anaesthetist, Nenad Stojkovic was informed by Identity Malta that his earnings were not high enough to apply for residence permits for his family.
Dr Stojkovic earns €22,645 a year, which is below the amount required for non-EU nationals to maintain two family members in the country.
“So a doctor cannot afford to maintain his wife and children here,” he asked incredulously when speaking to Times of Malta.
He was commenting after Times of Malta reported that dozens of parents from non-European Union countries were told they can no longer afford to keep their children with them in Malta because of a residency policy that is being strictly enforced. The policy, based on legislation introduced in 2007, obliges third country nationals to earn at least €19,000 a year as well as 20 per cent of that wage for each family member.
Dr Stojkovic expressed gratitude to the hospital for a document proving that overtime hours would allow him to meet the €26,600 mark required for non-EU workers to keep two family members in Malta.
The wage requirement can be waived by Identity Malta “at the sole discretion of the director” in the case that both parents are in employment and their combined earnings are lower than the amount indicated.
Slobodan Rangelov, a community figurehead among the Serbians, said this was the first time in the five years he had lived in Malta that the policy was being strictly enforced.
When asked why he thought Identity Malta was enforcing this policy suddenly, he replied that the government might be trying to save money on social benefits, which all third country nationals earning under €19,000 are automatically entitled to, or creating more space in schools.
Families impacted by this policy said they were desperate and showed this newspaper letters they had sent to UNICEF, the Commissioner for Children, the Ombudsman and human rights NGO Aditus appealing for help.
Contacted by Times of Malta, the Commissioner for Children, Pauline Miceli, said: “A small number of third country nationals have approached the office because of the difficulty of obtaining clearance from ID Malta for their children to live here and attend school and access their rights.
“I am aware of the regulations and the difficulties they face and feel concerned about their children’s well-being.
“My office has raised these issues with the authorities and will continue to work to find a more child- and family-friendly solution to this issue.”