The issue of overpopulation in the country has gradually assumed ever growing importance in people’s minds.

Malta has had a high population density for decades. It was confirmed in the 2021 census when the population reached 1,783 people per square kilometre, more than three times the next most densely populated country in the EU.

The latest data shows that the population has continued to increase at a significant rate. We had a net increase of over 21,000, as result of an influx of 33,000 of non-EU citizens and an outflow of 13,500, giving a net result of 19,500 non-EU citizens out of the 21,000.

This data shows that nothing is being done about this challenge. This inertia is evident across the country as most people who I speak to tell me there is nothing that can be done. If this is the case, then we are leaving a time bomb ready to explode for those under the age of 40. In 20 years’ time, if not before then, one can expect social unrest and the country will become unliveable.

This increase in the population is the result of an economic policy that sought to achieve economic growth through a population increase. It has had a positive short-term economic impact, but will have a negative long-term economic impact because of the social costs it has caused and the financial resources required to set things right.

Let us be clear about it: we cannot just close the tap overnight, but controlling the inflow of non-EU citizens and reversing the trend is a necessity. We need to keep one thing in mind. Even if we just put a total stop to non-EU workers, we will still have to face problems as non-EU workers who are already in Malta will start to bring their dependents, families, next of kin, etc. This is already happening; all one needs to do is look around to notice it.

We are often told that if we did not have non-EU workers, how could the hospitals operate? Or who would clean the streets and pick up our garbage? Let us be honest, our medical services are under strain because we have such a high number of non-EU workers. These high numbers will start impacting our education system in no time at all, like they are already making our infrastructure unsustainable.

In fact, this is why controlling the inflow of non-EU citizens and reversing the trend is a necessity. On the other hand, we also need to keep in mind that employers are still saying they are facing a shortage of workers. This looks like a paradox, but it is not.

We are told there was a time when Maltese emigrated in the hope of being welcomed in other countries to work. That was a different situation as countries like Canada and Australia had a deliberate policy to grow the population. We do not need to grow the population as there are enough of us already.

From an economic perspective, we must give some serious thinking to the following elements. The list is not exhaustive.

◾How many of those persons whose income depends on the public sector, directly through employment, or indirectly through government contracts, are really productive?

◾How can we leverage technology to be more productive with less people? Can employers be incentivised to invest in technology as a way of reducing headcount and moving up the value chain?

◾We need to do an analysis of the value-added of non-EU workers by sector. We should incentivise those non-EU workers and their employers who contribute a level of value-added which is higher than the average for their sector.

◾We also need to do a cost-benefit analysis of having such a high number of non-EU workers, who are mainly doing lowly paid jobs.

◾Should non-EU workers be given self-employed status? Should there be a crackdown on business arrangements which in substance render non-EU workers as self-employed but not in name?

◾There needs to be more investment by the public sector in the use of technology and in the management of processes to reduce the need for travel by customers to government offices and to reduce headcount.

◾There needs to be some form of incentive to achieve better streamlining of public and private transport services. This would reduce the demand for drivers and reduce the number of cars on the road.

Doing nothing about overpopulation is not an option. It will only make matters worse in the future.

Today we may afford not enforcing a total stop to the inflow of non-EU workers. If we do nothing, such a measure will be forced on us by circumstance.

The rise in popularity of extremists on both the left and the right of the political spectrum in Europe is the result of nothing being done about immigration. We must learn from other countries’ mistakes for the sake of future generations.