Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1538544
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 AUGUST 2025 FEATURE foreign residents outnumber Maltese voted for a carrying capacity study to be undertaken to know what volume of people the lo- cality can handle and where the infrastructure needs to im- prove," he says. Msida's woes are similar to those in many localities where large cohorts of foreigners live. The challenges are just more pronounced in towns where the majority of residents are non-Maltese. And one issue that was identi- fied as a problem in the Integra- tion Strategy and Action Plan 2025-2030, produced by the Human Rights Directorate, was the lack of permanency among foreign communities. Research shows that many foreign em- ployees tend to leave Malta within two to three years of mi- grating here and this creates so- cial challenges apart from eco- nomic risks. Short-term stays mean foreign workers have fewer opportuni- ties to integrate and place them at greater risk of exploitation and poor working conditions. This in turn has an impact on the communities where they live but have little attachment to. The Labour Migration Pol- icy unveiled late last year has sought to address the issue of high turnover of foreign work- ers by making it more attrac- tive for employers to hold on to existing workers rather than source new ones from abroad. To encourage retainment, the labour policy is upping the renewal period following the completion of one year of engagement from one to two years, provided that third coun- try nationals have been offered a contract with a validity period that is not less than two years. The new policy will also grant foreign workers already in Mal- ta a 30-day period, with a possi- ble 30-day extension, following employment termination dur- ing which they will be able to legally remain in Malta to seek new employment. The underlying rationale for the proposed change is to pri- oritise the retention of existing skilled individuals already in Malta thus reducing the turn- over. Other measures include ob- ligatory pre-departure pro- grammes that enable potential immigrant workers to acculture themselves with the norms, leg- islation and behavioural expec- tations once in Malta. It will take time for such poli- cies to have an impact at com- munity level, especially given the continued increase in for- eign workers to meet the econo- my's demands. But for a locality like Msida, these policies cannot come too soon, even though the mayor calls for a more hands- on approach that also deals with the immediate concerns. 1. Msida Population: 16,609 Maltese: 5,954 Foreign: 10,655 Foreign (%): 64% Since 2021, the number of foreign residents increased by 3,162, while Maltese residents declined by 140. Foreigners made up 55% of the locality's residents in 2021. Msida is run by a PN-led council after the locality shifted away from Labour in the 2024 local elections. The PN has 5 councillors and the PL has 4. 2. St Paul's Bay Population: 40,204 Maltese: 14,960 Foreign: 25,244 Foreign (%): 63% Since 2021, the number of foreigners increased by 7,962, outpacing Maltese residents that increased by a mere 200. In 2021, foreign residents made up 54% of the locality's population. St Paul's Bay is run by a PN-led council after the PL lost its majority in 2024. The PN has 7 councillors, the PL has 5 and ADPD has 1. 3. Gzira Population: 12,054 Maltese: 4,848 Foreign: 7,206 Foreign (%): 60% Since 2021, the number of foreigners increased by 1,805, while Maltese residents decreased by 82. In 2021, Gżira's foreign residents made up 52% of the locality's population. Gzira is run by a PL-led council. In the 2024 local elections, the PL elected 5 councillors, the PN elected 3 and the locality's former Labour mayor was elected as an independent. 4. St Julian's Population: 15,208 Maltese: 6,510 Foreign: 8,698 Foreign (%): 57% Since 2021, the number of foreigners living in St Julian's increased by 2,944, while the Maltese population increased by 611. In 2021, foreign residents made up 49% of the population. St Julian's is run by a PN-led council. The PN has 6 councillors and the PL has 3. 5. Pietà Population: 7,087 Maltese: 3,195 Foreign: 3,892 Foreign (%): 55% Since 2021, the number of foreign residents increased by 1,240, while the Maltese population decreased by 45. In 2021, Pietà's share of foreigners was 45%. Pietà is run by a PL-led council. In the 2024 local elections, the PL elected 4 councillors and the PN elected 3. 6. Sliema Population: 22,730 Maltese: 10,284 Foreign: 12,446 Foreign (%): 55% Since 2021, the number of foreign residents increased by 2,841, outpacing an increase of 234 Maltese residents. In 2021, foreign residents made up 49% of the population. Sliema is run by a PN-led council. In the 2024 local elections, the PN elected 10 councillors and the PL elected 3. "I have no problem in welcoming foreigners but I want the respect to be mutual and this is why we need to work more on integration."