Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1276949
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 AUGUST 2020 NEWS When we see these numbers, the dys- topian future presented by Maltese far-rightists and racists is clearly untrue. There are no numbers which suggest Malta will be "overtaken" by Somalis, Eritreans or Sudanese – technically, we are more likely to be overtaken by Italian café-owners and English "ex-pats". The Maltese are kindlier towards those they have affinity and require no depend- ence on the State (although they get free healthcare and education): certainly cul- ture and even race play a part. Otherwise, the Maltese view the African underclass as a threat, either 'culturally', or economically. And yet even here the Jobplus numbers disprove that: in 2019, those who hailed from the sub-Sahara who were in employment were Eritreans (338), Nigerians (415), Somali (407), and Ethiopians (147) - 1,307. That is hardly job-stealing figures. What we might not know for sure is how many asylum seekers are in Malta. Since 2008 we had a total of 12,700 grant- ed some form of protection, and 6,200 asylum claims rejected. But then you have to subtract the number of people reset- tled to the United States, 3,000, and those to the EU, 1,548. Historically, it could mean that as many as 15,000 of migrants who arrived in Mal- ta illegally are living here, but Jobsplus re- cords have only 3,173 asylum seekers and asylum beneficiaries in gainful employ- ment as at 2019. The government has never tracked the movements of these migrants. Is Malta still hosting another 10,000 conspicuous migrants who have never left the island to move on to the EU? Foreign workers grow by 5,000 every year The comparison is easy to make: since 2008-9, foreign workers grew by 5,000 each year on average; asylum claims grew by 1,500 each year on average. The lat- ter class is delegitimised by illegal entry, arrives and stays in poverty, and is then condemned by racism to be stuck in var- ious forms of precarity. But immigration does matter. And any government that does not give in to right-wing anxieties must counter con- cerns on immigration, and confront the problem it faces. MaltaToday surveys on concerns re- flect similar concerns in Europe which consistently identify immigration as one of the most important issues facing their countries, with majorities in most coun- tries favouring limits on it. Far-right groups who claim immigra- tion changes their country or their cul- ture often ignore what business groups in Malta who depend on cheap, foreign labour are doing to their towns and villag- es, their environment and infrastructure. Instead of addressing the effects of unbri- dled development on their quality of life, immigrants are easy scapegoats for issues such as bad neighbourliness or social pre- carity that must be addressed by police and the State's social agencies. The economic concerns in Malta have always been overstated. Labour is proba- bly the party with historically the largest working-class vote. The numbers show that non-EU nationals are likely to in- crease the supply of low-skilled workers, so it is evident that Maltese workers in low-skill jobs are most likely to fear com- petition from any increase in competition for the same jobs. In times of COVID-19 uncertainty, where jobs will be lost, and austerity measures could be put in place, citizens are likely to be resentful of new- comers "jumping the queue" or strangers requesting asylum. Much of this response also depends on the way public services are designed to cater for migrant arrivals: if reception centres and AFM maritime rescue efforts are overwhelmed by larger numbers, the emergency perception will be felt strong- ly by citizens, probably the one most ex- posed to immigrant or such 'job compe- tition'. The other challenge is people's anxieties about threats to national identity. The way these complaints are communicated, especially on social media such as the 'Ry- an Fenech video' or the angry, far-right rants of zookeeper Anton Cutajar, colours the response. Elites are always tempted to view these outbursts as "backward", although they are indeed dangerous ex- pressions of incitement – capitulating to these people as "emotive" interlocutors on migration would be giving in to inde- cent and incorrect views. Addressing the concerns of those who resent African migration and the social problems it brings does not mean nor- malising racism. But this is a problem for both State and party: the government which does not address security concerns inside towns with both police and social workers is allowing citizens to shoulder the burden that comes from irregular mi- gration; and a political party which does not provide a response on immigration that is positive and unique, only gives in to the scaremongering of the far-right. mvella@mediatoday.com.mt EU workers Non-EU Sub-Saharan Africa 12K 10K 8K 6K 4K 2K 0 ITALY UK BULGARIA ROMANIA HUNGARY GERMANY N MACED… SPAIN SWEDEN FRANCE 5,496 2,605 2,158 1,649 1,530 1,444 1,430 1,425 1,361 Employed foreigners 2009-2019 0 20K 40K 60K 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 EU, EEA, dependents Third Country Nationals TOTAL Foreign workers in Malta 2019 Top nationalities of foreign workers 2019 • EU and non-EU UNITED KINGDOM ITALY SERBIA & MONTENEGRO 744 264 233 Press play to see annual growth of foreign workers from 2002 to 2019 0 0.5K 1K 1.5K 2K 2.5K 3K 3.5K 4K 4.5K 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Number of asylum applications Granted refugee status Other forms of protection status Rejected Total arrivals by boat 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2,775 1,475 47 1,579 1,890 2,008 569 106 24 20 1,445 3,405 Number of persons on board Total asylum claims and decisions Rejected Subsidiary protection Refugee status 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 542 481 22 2006 2008-2019: Decisions, resettlements and relocations Press play to see annual growth of asylum claimants These numbers suggest that as many at As many as 14,777 could be living in Malta, although the number is probably less. Jobsplus records have 3,173 asylum seekers and beneficiaries in gainful employment as at 2019. So where are the other 10,000? How Malta compares with the EU 140K 160K 1,575 1,800 Accepted asylum claims Rejections Claims per million population Although low compared to Germany, France and Italy, Malta's asylum claims appear high expressed in population (claims per million) IRELAND 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 27 2002 The jobs done by foreign workers in Malta Managers Professionals Associate professionals Clerks, support workers Services, sales workers Agriculture & Fishery Craft tradesmen Factory workers Elementary jobs 0 1K 2K 3K 4K 5K 6K 7K 8K 9K 10K 11K 12K 5,002 1,216 6,400 2,282 5,348 2,536 7,441 1,242 5,936 6,890 97 57 1,959 3,739 1,526 2,143 2,992 10,790 EU workers Non-EU workers EU workers are mainly employed in professional and managerial posts, while non-EU workers mainly occupy service posts and semi-skilled jobs