Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1380662
13 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 JUNE 2021 Labour leads by 39,000 votes as PN tumbles CONTACT Adriana Farrugia or Erika Arrigo on 21382741 for sponsorship opportunities SCAN THIS CODE TO WATCH LATEST EPISODE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR CITIZENSHIP ALEX MUSCAT WITH PN MP BEPPE FENECH ADAMI Minister inflicts forced redundancy on asylum seekers MATTHEW AGIUS THE government has been urged to immediately revoke new policies stopping asylum seekers from certain countries from legal employment, a prac- tice described as "discriminatory and inhumane." 28 organisations forming the Malta Refugee Council expressed extreme concern at a new policy by home affairs minister Byron Camilleri, that precludes certain asylum seekers from legal em- ployment for 9 months, saying it is aimed at denying people the possibility of working and earn- ing a living in Malta. "It is clear that this decision will deprive hundreds of people, including families, of the income necessary to secure a minimum level of human dignity and self-reliance," the NGOs said. "Already vulnerable to labour exploitation, including wages far below the minimum wage, asylum-seekers and failed asy- lum-seekers will be pushed fur- ther into the dark as they will inevitably clutch at any oppor- tunity to secure basics such as shelter, food and water, clothing, services and transport in order to survive." In May, the Ministry for Home Affairs amended Malta's ap- proach on how people seeking asylum in Malta, or who sought asylum here and had their appli- cations rejected, may or may not work. "The new policy focuses on a list of countries deemed safe by the minister, whereby nationals of these countries are effective- ly punished for exercising their fundamental human rights to seek protection from persecu- tion." The new rules mean asy- lum-seekers from a country deemed safe will experience forced redundancy for up to nine months before being allowed to work. Persons from such coun- tries whose asylum applications are rejected will only be able to work in Malta under exceptional circumstances. "Aside from the fact that the minister's assessment of these countries' safety is highly ques- tionable, this discriminatory policy fails to mention what oth- er forms of support Malta will provide to persons who would be facing poverty or be at risk of poverty as a direct and intend- ed consequence of these policy changes. "Our experience, as that of NGOs working in the sector of poverty relief, is that the absence of any meaningful State support will leave these communities no other options than resorting to extreme labour exploitation, criminal or other irregular ac- tivity, or dependence on the ma- terial support provided by non- State entities such as NGOs, friends and social networks, and the Church." Those persons who are not in contact with such support struc- tures will be further marginal- ised thereby increasing the risks of mental health problems, sub- stance abuse and chronic illness, added the NGOs. "Additionally, we ask how the government expects affected persons will access healthcare if they are unable to pay for it? How will their children attend school if they are unable to buy books, uniforms and other sup- plies? How will other necessary services be accessible? What will this policy do to social cohesion and inclusion in Malta? "How does it fit with other policies and measures that are geared towards promoting in- clusion and acceptance? Malta's first COVID-19 wave, in early 2020, gave us a very good idea of how a sudden denial or sig- nificant reduction of income led to extremely serious situations of material deprivation. Almost overnight, our offices, as those of scores of other NGOs and relief- providers, were swamped with calls for assistance to cover the most basic of needs." The Council said an an already unstable source of income for such workers will now be cut and lead to immediate poverty. "The intention is crystal clear, and it shocks us that the gov- ernment is able to even consider such an inhumane approach to its migration management." Byron Camilleri