Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/744537
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 30 OCTOBER 2016 11 JAMES DEBONO 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 conti- nent while only a fifth hail from Sub Saharan Africa The number of legally employed workers hailing from the Philip- pines – a Far East country whose government actively assists its cit- izens to seek work abroad, espe- cially 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, statis- tics presented in parliament show. Another striking rise was also registered in the number of Ser- bian 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 rep- resented 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., 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 be- fore 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 reg- istered 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 work- ers 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 hun- dreds of courses being offered by the state-run Technical Education and Skills Development Author- ity for Filipinos seeking to work abroad. It is, however, among the coun- try'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 clean- ers and floor polishers and cook international cuisine. Most Serbians working in Malta in 2014 were registered as working as "craft and related trades work- ers" (269) or as doing "elementary jobs" (325). The absolute major- ity 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 hermet- ic 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 traf- ficking in a court case which is still awaiting judgement. But in July Leisure Clothing announced it was no longer employing North Korean workers. News Thursday TVM 20:50 Filipino workers increase by 1,056 in six years One fifth of legally employed non- EU nationals hail from Sub Saharan Africa, down from a third in 2011 Total number of non-EU workers Year Number 2016 8,492 2015 6,027 2013 5,169 2012 4,322 2011 3,763 2010 3,316 2009 3,484 2008 4,205 2007 3,317 2006 2,904 2005 2,186 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2016 Philippines 412 449 677 921 1,128 1,468 Serbia 231 348 476 565 739 1,246 India 200 219 225 237 291 373 China 380 399 404 435 346 369 Russia 126 151 164 180 218 351 Libya 89 77 95 138 263 322 Eritrea 212 225 198 304 333 286 Ukraine 82 87 86 103 177 279 Nigeria 91 94 127 182 189 264 Somalia 138 177 124 132 148 237 Pakistan 31 119 153 164 169 214 Bosnia 106 124 127 143 158 212 Turkey 115 129 133 187 no data 195 Ivory Coast 61 64 88 114 118 156 Ethiopia 96 225 123 132 121 123 Egypt 42 46 47 66 81 117 USA 51 51 58 65 44 108 Syria 10 17 20 21 30 105 Only 14 workers come from Algeria despite the issue of 3,021 visas to Algerian nationals in March 2014 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