Filipino workers in Malta increase by 1,056 in six years

Filipinos now account for 17% of all non-EU workers in Malta. A third of all third country nationals (2,748) hail from the Asian continent while only a fifth hail from Sub Saharan Africa

The number of legally employed workers hailing from the Philippines – a Far East country whose government actively assists its citizens to seek work abroad, especially in the domestic and nursing sectors – has shot up from 412 in 2010 to 1,468 in 2016, an increase of 256 per cent in six years, statistics presented in parliament show.  

Another striking rise was also registered in the number of Serbian workers, which has shot up from only 231 in 2010 to 1,246 in 2016 – an increase of 439 per cent.

Statistics show the total number of non-EU workers shooting up from just 2,186 in 2010 to 8,492 now, an increase of 288 per cent.

1,664 (20%) of the 8,492 foreign workers in 2016 hailed from Sub Saharan Africa.  The most represented Sub Saharan nation is Eritrea (286) followed by Nigeria (264) and Somalia (237).  

In 2011 Sub Saharan Africans accounted for a third of all third country nationals, with 625 (7%) hailed from the Maghreb region. Of these 322 hailed from Libya. In 2011 North Africans accounted for 6% of non-EU workers.

The number of Libyan workers has shot up from 89 in 2010 before the revolution to 322 in 2016, an increase of 261 per cent. Only 14 workers hailed from Algeria despite the issue of 3,021 visas to Algerian nationals in March 2014.  

Workers from Russia have also increased considerably in the past two years, from 218 in 2014 to 351 now, an increase of 61% in two years. Only 126 Russians were working in Malta in 2010. 

In 2014, 489 Filipinos were registered as working in “services and sales” while 481 were registered as working in “elementary jobs.” In 2010 ETC statistics showed that 108 of 499 (22%) registered home based personal care workers hailed  from the Philippines. 

Money sent home by Filipino workers worldwide is a prominent feature of the country’s economy, amounting to more than US$10 billion in 2005. The ‘super maid’ programme is just one of hundreds of courses being offered by the state-run Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for Filipinos seeking to work abroad.

It is, however, among the country’s most popular courses and can even be offered for free to those awarded a government scholarship. Students in the super maid programme learn to bake bread, cakes and cookies, operate appliances such as vacuum cleaners and floor polishers and cook international cuisine.

Most Serbians working in Malta in 2014 were registered as working as “craft and related trades workers” (269) or as doing “elementary jobs” (325). The absolute majority of Somalis and Eritreans were doing “elementary jobs” – a term used to categorize unskilled jobs. 

2016 statistics show 16 workers hailing from North Korea, down from 53 in 2014 and 72 in 2015. In 2010 only 10 North Koreans were working in Malta. 

Malta was one of two EU states, the other being Poland, which appeared to be closing an eye to the exploitation of North Korean workers sent out by the hermetic Kim Jong-un regime to work around the world and send their salaries back to the communist regime.

In 2015, 41 North Koreans were working at Leisure Clothing – a company accused of human trafficking in a court case which is still awaiting judgement. But in July Leisure Clothing announced it was no longer employing North Korean workers.