NGOs welcome 'milestone' integration policy

The launch of a national strategy for the integration of migrants was described as a milestone by NGOs attending a seminar organised by the Ministry for Social Dialogue and civil liberties.

Claudia Taylor East expressed satisfaction that the country has made great progress in discussing what up till some time ago was a taboo. She spoke on the need of collaboration with local councils. Jon Hoiseter from the UNHCR spoke on the need of a greater visibility of migrants in public broadcasting.

NGOs welcomed the launching of the integration policy describing it a milestone.

Aditus Neil Falzon called for a wider debate on the political integration of migrants through participation in local election and subsequently in national elections.  He also spoke on the need of a revision of the laws regulating naturalisation with the aim of speeding up the process.

A representative of the Maltese patriots association protested that the Maltese were not represented in panel. 

A representative of the Malta Migration Association spoke on the plight of migrants whose claims for asylum has been denied but could not be sent back to their country of origin. Some of these have lived in Malta for more than a decade and have established families, have children and established a bond with the country. 

He also spoke on the difficulty of these migrants to find an employer ready to apply for a work permit on their behalf. 

“If they lose their job because of an injury or because they are sick they are not entitled to social security and depend on the charity of friends.”   

A survey conducted by MediaToday showing 49% of the Maltese agreeing with an integration policy and only 27% are opposed to such a policy was presented during the seminar.

The results of the survey were presented by James Debono who leads MediaToday’s survey unit, which was commissioned by the Ministry to conduct the survey following a competitive process.

The survey showed that 56% of respondents know a foreign Maltese resident by name.  Interestingly respondents who do not know any foreigners who live in Malta are more likely to oppose integration.

So are respondents who think that there are more than 18000 irregular migrants still living in Malta or who think that more than 30,000 foreigners are living in Malta. This suggests that perceptions on numbers have an impact on views on integration. 

Respondents who disagree with government encouraging integration are most likely to oppose it because of the island’s small size and a perception that there are already too many foreigners. But others are motivated by more irrational fears like that of foreigners taking over the country or supplanting the local population.