Non-EU workers who lose their job should be given 90 days to find another, the Anti Poverty Forum (APF) has suggested. 

The current grace period for so-called Third Country Nationals to find work is just 10 days, with the government proposing this be increased to 60 days.

But the APF called for this grace period to be increased further to allow workers enough time to secure new employment. 

It is one of 26 recommendations the Forum has made to the government as part of a consultation on the government's proposed labour force migration policy.

It aims to introduce measures to curb abuse of third-country national (TCN) workers whilst obliging employers to favour Maltese and EU workers. It also encourages TCNs to stay in Malta, upskill, and integrate.

The APF also suggested employers who exploit non-EU workers should face harsher penalties to hold them fully accountable and to act as a deterrent for others.

Commending the proposed reform, the APF offered suggestions that called for TCN workers to be treated more as “human beings who are an integral part of our economic system just like Maltese and Europeans”.

"Penalties should be stiff enough to act as a deterrent. Mere disqualification can be perceived as a lenient response that undermines a robust zero-tolerance attitude to exploitation," the APF said.

The APF added that TCN workers should have access to legal aid services either through JobsPlus or the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER). There should also be structures in place to conduct an investigation when there are reports of abuse.

In light of Malta's mass labour importation, the forum said that the government should carry out a study to establish whether or not existing resources are being used “effectively and efficiently”.

It said that false claims of worker shortages might lead to an excessive demand for labour importation which is putting a strain on Malta’s infrastructure and public institutions.

Equal pay

The APF’s statement also referred to TCN workers whose permits have expired and who are left waiting - sometimes up to five months - without a reply to see if it will be renewed.

The government should respond in a much timelier manner, the APF said, which will "reduce the anxiety" TCN workers might be experiencing.

It also pushed for the government to ensure that TCN workers receive the same salary that a Maltese worker in the same role would receive. As such, the APF argued that this will prevent a situation where TCN workers are prioritised over Maltese workers.

“The TCN’s living conditions are to be looked into to ensure that these people are managing to live a decent and dignified life while in Malta,” the APF added.