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3 maltatoday | TUESDAY • 26 MAY 2026 EDITORIAL ELECTION 2026 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 can- not do much because it would negatively im- pact the economic model that has created ma- terial 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 la- bour that consequently led to immense pres- sure on public resources. From congested roads to an electricity distribution network unable to cope; from hospital overcrowding to new realities in schools; from astronom- ical increases in residential rents to disrup- tion 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 af- ter 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 real- ised 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 unreg- ulated 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 Iden- tità, 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 popula- tion authority of sorts that will help antici- pate labour market needs, plan public infra- structure accordingly and determine where the gaps in the economy are, does not quite placate the widespread discontent. It prom- ises greater coordination among agencies with Identità even having a dedicated sec- tion 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 im- pact 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 sev- eral 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 govern- ment to take full control of labour importa- tion. While cutting unnecessary red tape, the government must also clamp down on work- er 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 inte- grate better in Maltese society. But at the end of the day, only a shift in the econom- ic model can really dampen the foreign la- bour boom and consequently ensure a better quality of life for all. maltatoday MaltaToday, MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 MANAGING EDITOR: SAVIOUR BALZAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR: KURT SANSONE DEPUTY PRINT EDITOR: LAURA CALLEJA Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt 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 The foreigner conundrum dogging this election Candidate's sister targeted in tyre- slashing incident LABOUR Party candidate Omar Rababah revealed that his sis- ter's car tyres were slashed while picking up her child from school. Rababah took to Facebook to insist that politics should never descend to this level, express- ing his fear that people have di- rected their attacks toward his family. "We may disagree, we may criticise each other, but we must never lose our respect and humanity," Rababah said. Rababah, who has Syrian her- itage and is Muslim, has faced a wave of racial and religious slurs since announcing his can- didature with the Labour Party for Saturday's election. Rababah is a social worker and human rights activist. Government entity takes down protest banner WORKERS employed by Aquatic Resources Malta, a government entity, were caught taking down a banner protesting the organisa- tion's plans for a multi-storey fa- cility project. Marsaxlokk Heritage said the workers were caught removing the banner, which read Binja Le, Ġnien Iva (Building no, garden yes). The heritage group voiced the frustration of residents, who continue to face relentless devel- opment pressures in the village. Last November, the CEO of Aquatic Resources presented a proposal for a multi-storey build- ing to serve as an aquaculture and fisheries research centre in the lo- cality. The proposal became part of the Labour Party's electoral manifesto. However, the Labour-party led Marsaxlokk local council came out against the manifesto propos- al, pointing out that the site had already been subject to a 2007 planning permit by the council for a much-needed public garden and jogging track. The council is unanimously op- posed to the proposed develop- ment, and stressed that the land in question must remain an open green space for public use rather than being surrendered to build- ing projects. Political party Momentum has backed the Marsaxlokk council's stand. Momentum campaign banners stolen from St Julians Just days before the election, Momentum has reported fur- ther thefts of its election ban- ners from St Julian's, marking the second such incident in as many days. Momentum said this repeated targeting of campaign materi- al is unacceptable and under- mines the democratic process. The party called for imme- diate action by the authorities to investigate these incidents thoroughly. Rababah voiced his fear that people have directed their attacks toward his family Members of Aquatic Resources Malta were caught removing the banner protesting the planned multi-storey facility (Photo: Marsaxlokk Heritage)