The Philippines is pushing for a labour agreement with Malta that would help prevent immigration scams and the abuse of its workers, the country’s new ambassador has said.

Such an agreement would help ensure that employment of Filipinos would be “regular, orderly and with less exploitation and abuse,” Ambassador Nathaniel  Imperial told Times of Malta.

“On the most basic level, we would like to have a labour agreement because that would stipulate the bare minimum conditions for our workers here,” he said, noting that the Philippines had entered into similar arrangements with many other countries.

Imperial was speaking during his first official visit to the island to begin his term.

A labour agreement would compel both sides to ensure regularity and uniformity in the enforcement of rules for the labour force, he said.

“We’ve constantly been proposing it, and I will reiterate it on my visit.

“Malta is really becoming a preferred destination for many of our workers... so I think an agreement would ensure there is a steady stream of workers who are free from labour problems.”

In recent years, Malta has recruited increasing numbers of foreign workers, with the country’s Filipino community now estimated to represent around 12,000 people.

However, as the influx of workers has increased, so have the incidents of abuse.

Earlier this year, the Philippines Bureau of Immigration warned that Malta had become a “hotspot for trafficking” of Filipinos, following reports of immigration scams where victims were lured to the country by employment recruiters promising work.

Commenting on the scams, Imperial highlighted that one of the main issues was Filipinos travelling to Malta from a third country.

“This is actually prohibited by our regulations; to better protect the workers, they are supposed to travel here directly from the Philippines, and the agencies responsible for recruiting them have to be screened and monitored by our agencies in the Philippines.

“There have been several cases of these [scams] happening here in Malta, and we have issued advisories to warn our nationals not to be duped into these false promises.”

Earlier this year, Times of Malta reported that foreign workers were paying up to €250 a month each to share a single apartment in Sliema with 40 other people, with one tenant saying the cramped conditions were a common issue facing migrant workers.

Was Imperial aware of Filipino workers encountering such treatment?

“We haven’t really been receiving complaints about housing issues yet, but we expect it to be an issue in the future because of the rising cost of rents,” he said, adding this had been the case for Filipinos living in Singapore where rents had “skyrocketed” in recent years.

“It’s been very difficult for them. What happens is they adjust and live together in one room, instead of in one unit in an apartment. These are the usual problems encountered by migrant workers and I suppose our nationals will not be exempt from it.”

This month, Housing Minister Roderick Galdes announced changes to rent laws preventing landlords from registering rental properties with more than six tenants who are not part of the same family.

Pointing to another similarity between Singapore and Malta, Imperial said the cost of living in Malta could be one reason why more Filipinos didn’t bring family members to the country.

“Being naturalised in Singapore is very difficult and the cost of living is so high that they cannot afford to bring their families with them. In Malta, the cost of living is also quite high. That’s probably the main barrier,” he said, noting, however, that family reunification rules vary from country to country.

“Maybe 90 per cent of host countries don’t really allow family reunification. They only allow the person to finish the contract, then leave. So, it depends on the conditions allowed... However, if the country wants to entice more Filipinos to work here, that kind of incentive might be a good one.”

According to Malta’s family reunification policy, non-EU nationals must prove they earn the up-to-date median wage – which stood at €18,155 in June – plus an additional 20 per cent for each family member. For a worker to bring their spouse and a dependent to Malta, they would need to earn at least €25,000 based on recent figures.

There have been several cases of these [scams] happening here in Malta

Noting how Malta’s Filipino community has grown in recent years, Imperial said it was likely the Philippines would step up the provision of services to its citizens here in the next year.

“There is a growing number of Filipinos in Malta because of its rapidly growing economy. As a result, our honorary consulate here is becoming busier and busier,” he said.

The Philippines operates regular missions from its main office in Rome every three months to provide services not provided by the consular office in Malta, such as passport renewals.

“I foresee our missions here will become more frequent than the quarterly visits we currently do,” he said.

If the population continued to increase, his government would consider opening a permanent office in Malta, he added.

Characterising the Philippines as enjoying “very good diplomatic and political relations with Malta,” the ambassador said he hoped for more economic cooperation.

“Our trade levels are at around $40 to $60 million per year, and we hope to increase that further. Malta is a financial centre of the sub region... And the fact that we are one of the top business process outsourcing destinations in the world means hopefully we can augment Malta’s financial sector.”

Like Malta, the Philippines is a strongly Catholic country following hundreds of years of Spanish colonial rule, something Imperial sees as a strong reason countrymen choose Malta.

“Filipinos love to work and live here because there are some similarities to our culture. I think in Asia we’re probably one of the most western-oriented countries, so it’s very easy for our nationals to integrate into the society.”

As in Malta, abortion remains illegal in the Philippines but there has not been the same pressure to change the law, Imperial said.

“I think the initial pressure was on the issue of contraception more than abortion. That matter has been hurdled by our reproductive bill, so now our population growth – which was very rapid – has now stabilised.... so, abortion has not really been as controversial.”

Unlike Malta, however, divorce has not been legalised in the Philippines, a shift the ambassador said has not yet found widespread support among lawmakers. 

“Every session of Congress there is a bill filed to legalise divorce, but it has not found the numbers yet to become legislation,” he said.

Does Imperial have a message for Filipinos living and working in Malta?

“I would tell them they’re the best ambassadors of goodwill for our country, and that they should do their best in their chosen profession. They should be proud of being Filipinos and be themselves, because that’s what the world likes and needs of us.”