Malta’s reputation in the international media continues to be associated with incidents of sleaze, corruption and human trafficking.
The exploitation of foreign low-skilled workers from third countries is in no way unique to Malta as many other EU countries suffer from the same phenomenon.
However, the exponential increase of third-country nationals in Malta in the last decade has made the country one of the relatively worst abusers of workers’ rights.
Times of Malta reported how an Indian employment agency called Abroad Study Plan charged up to €6,000 for a visa, work permit and a promise of a well-paid job in Malta.
Indian migrants claim they were “cheated” with promises of jobs in European countries by the recruitment agencies. These agencies provided fake job offer letters, job contracts and notaries, they said.
Nine Indian nationals have asked the police in Hyderabad to investigate “fraudulent” immigration agencies, including one they claim sends would-be workers to non-existent jobs in Malta.
This is not the only case of Indian victims of human trafficking being exploited by criminal job agencies in India and their local representatives.
Earlier this year, the Indian news network The Wire reported that a travel agency in Jalandhar, Punjab said: “If a person wanted to get to Italy, he or she should first apply for a work visa for Malta. There is no other legal way to get into Italy for the next three years. Visas in Italy are just not available.”
The agency added that companies in Malta were looking for delivery men, construction workers, masons, plumbers, welders, electricians, shuttering carpenters and female cleaners, offering a salary of €1,000 from which they had to pay for the commission, food and accommodation.
The government said it will be tightening regulations on these foreign job brokers and their local representatives. It is evident that the mass importation of third-country nationals in the last decade was not only badly planned but poorly managed, leaving tens of thousands of vulnerable workers subject to exploitation.
Sadly, incompetence, sleaze and corruption in some public sector agencies have become the norm, leaving the country struggling to clean up its badly tarnished image.
The Malta Malayalee Association is an NGO representing Indians in Malta. According to BNN – an Indian news network – this NGO argues that Indian nationals seeking employment in Malta are being exploited by agencies that charge exorbitant fees and promise non-existent jobs.
To maintain legal status, these individuals are required to pay income tax through the agency, though they are not earning any income.
The exploitation of workers is particularly prevalent among unskilled workers who are often afraid of speaking up. Many are scared to speak up due to threats from the manpower agencies, which warn them that doing so could result in job loss and deportation from Malta.
The Malta Malayalee Association has urged Indian nationals to conduct thorough research before coming to Malta for employment.
All prospective migrants must be aware of their rights and seek information to prevent falling victim to exploitation. The government must publish its strategy to combat human trafficking without further delay.
And in the process, politicial parties should stop trying to score points by resorting to xenophobic discourse without understanding the dangerous implications of exploiting the exploited.