The foreigner conundrum dogging this election

Overpopulation—for which read, non-EU workers—is the one issue that has the two major political parties in a twist. They both would like to curb the foreign population to placate the widespread discontent among the electorate but at the same time, they cannot do much because it would negatively impact the economic model that has created material wealth.

The rapid economic expansion since 2013 has fuelled a population boom of foreign workers—mostly non-EU nationals from south east Asia. The unregulated population boom provided a steady stream of cheap labour that consequently led to immense pressure on public resources. From congested roads to an electricity distribution network unable to cope; from hospital overcrowding to new realities in schools; from astronomical increases in residential rents to disruption at community level; the boom did not find Malta prepared.

At the same time, disgusting stories of workplace and rental abuse involving third country nationals started catching headlines. The abandonment of a foreign worker on the kerbside in Selmun by his own employer after the former was injured at a construction site was the apex of inhumanity. But other stories also came to the fore as third country nationals started organising themselves with the help of unions like the General Workers’ Union and Solidarjetà.

The Labour Party in government only realised it had a problem on its hands a couple of years ago when public disgruntlement forced it to draw up a labour migration policy that sought to introduce controls. The policy was meant to bring order to the wild west that was allowed to fester at the behest of unregulated temping agencies.

The intention behind the policy was good. Its execution, however, has left employers lamenting the increased bureaucracy and lack of effective coordination between Identità, JobsPlus and the police immigration section. As usual; public policy went from one extreme to another.

On the flip side, the Nationalist Party has made overpopulation one of its rallying cries in this election. It describes the problems well but its its proposal to create a population authority of sorts that will help anticipate labour market needs, plan public infrastructure accordingly and determine where the gaps in the economy are, does not quite placate the widespread discontent. It promises greater coordination among agencies with Identità even having a dedicated section for employees and employers but it still recognises the need to have foreign workers.

When addressing the business community on Monday during the leaders’ debate at the Chamber of Commerce, Robert Abela and Alex Borg were caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, they know that the electorate views foreign workers with disdain—in some instances borne out of xenophobia or racism, in others borne out of frustration because of the negative impact on public infrastructure and services—but on the other hand they have employers clamouring for more workers.

The truth is that if Malta wants to retain its current level of progress it will continue to need foreign workers to plug the gaps in several sectors. Our hospitals and care homes would practically grind to a halt if the tap of foreign labour is closed. Other sectors will also feel the brunt. Abela and Borg are not too keen to talk about this fact.

What is required, however, is for government to take full control of labour importation. While cutting unnecessary red tape, the government must also clamp down on worker abuse and ensure that those coming here to live and work are absolutely necessary. Another aspect is the need for measures to help law-abiding longer-term workers integrate better in Maltese society. But at the end of the day, only a shift in the economic model can really dampen the foreign labour boom and consequently ensure a better quality of life for all.