John Paul Cauchi’s very sincere Talking Point (December 20) can be excellent class material when discussing the usual issue of the amorality of economics. But, basically, Cauchi comes off as solely concerned with what is totally inhuman in the current requirement that children of foreign workers in Malta who do not earn a certain wage should be sent back to their countries of origin.

But surely there is a clear demonstration of some type of failure at Jobsplus and among employers in this development. A whole series of questions can be put forth.

Who was responsible for initially bringing the parents into Malta? To what extent were these people made aware at the original stage of application – either by Jobsplus itself or the jobs agent or the eventual would-be employer – of the eventual full requirements in our law when it comes to what income they would need to have while the whole family is in Malta?

Cauchi never asks one single question as to who is responsible for leading the matter to this present level. It is totally right to argue, as he does, that, once here, they cannot be sent back home in a manner that is insensitive to all the elements he correctly mentions – basically Christian humanism. But he must recognise that it is simply not enough to be humanist in such matters. 

That we got to such a situation was, and is, someone’s responsibility, someone who, from the outset, had (or should have had) the responsibility of telling these people, from the moment they set foot in Malta at the airport or the grand harbour, what are or would be the financial requirements to be constantly satisfied while staying and/or working in Malta.

Then, of course, the immigration authorities, or even the police, would constantly keep checking up on whether the laws of the land are being respected, by both employers and employees. One wonders how many Job Inspectors Jobsplus has to ensure constant vetting of the working conditions of foreigners in Malta.

I strongly suspect that employers, or job agents, head-hunters, or whoever, are having a grand time in Malta at present when it comes to recruiting, from all over the world, people who would be enticed to come here at wages that are much better than those which would have been available to them in their home countries. 

When applying to Jobsplus for work permits, are such agents, employers or whatever also giving Jobsplus full details of the proposed incomes for these workers? Or aren’t they even required to do so? And, after a properly filled-in and documented application is approved, what is the proactivity of Jobsplus to later liaise with police to check that initially submitted information remains constantly relevant and acceptable according to the laws of the land?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with any government that considers allowing foreign workers to come into its territory to clearly and unequivocally stipulate under what conditions, including basic monetary incomes, such foreign workers would be allowed to come in and work here. 

I would also add that foreign workers intending to work here in certain sectors – the health sector and retailing are but two examples – should also only be allowed to work here subject to their registering for a formal Maltese language course within the first six months of their stay here, and, of course, qualifying through such course.

Yes, after our structures would be proved to have been inadequate (as was the case here) it is correct, as Cauchi states, that the nation should be humanist in its approach to such a problem. But it simply does not solve the problem by just stopping there.

Dr John Consiglio teaches in the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy at the University of Malta.