Widespread Exploitation of Migrant Workers in Malta Exposed in New Report

Strategic Insights -

Migrant workers in Malta are facing widespread exploitation, including withheld wages, unfair dismissals, and unsafe working conditions, according to a new report by Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Malta. The report, titled Forced to Hide, documents the human cost of legal precarity and labour exploitation, revealing a system that leaves migrants vulnerable to abuse, discrimination, and even destitution. Through interviews with asylum seekers, rejected asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, and third-country nationals, the report paints a picture of how Malta's shadow economy enables systemic abuse, with migrants often trapped between exploitative employers and immigration systems that deny them basic protections.

Key Takeaways:

  • The report documents cases of withheld wages, unfair dismissals, unsafe working conditions, bullying, racism, and violations of employment law, affecting migrants in Malta.
  • Migrants interviewed described living under constant psychological stress, fearing not only exploitative work environments but also immigration raids targeting even long-term residents and workers.
  • The report highlights the importance of a regularisation pathway for long-term migrants without legal status, prioritising workers' rights regardless of legal situation, and creating collaborative spaces for dialogue between government, employers, and civil society to address exploitation.
  • The project, supported by the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) and the Robert Bosch Stiftung, includes a series of narrative stories and an animated short film, Paper Ghosts, highlighting the lived experiences of those affected.
  • JRS Malta issued three main recommendations to address the exploitation of migrant workers in Malta.

Statistics:

  • The report highlights the prevalence of exploitation of migrant workers in Malta, with many participants speaking of being trapped between exploitative employers and immigration systems that deny them basic protections.
  • According to the report, migrant workers in Malta are vulnerable to abuse, discrimination, and even destitution due to legal precarity.
  • The project includes a series of narrative stories highlighting the lived experiences of 20 migrant workers in Malta.
  • The report suggests that a regularisation pathway for long-term migrants without legal status would help to address the exploitation of migrant workers in Malta.
  • JRS Malta estimates that there are approximately 55,000 migrant workers in Malta, with many facing precarious working conditions and limited access to workers' rights.

Sources:

  • Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Malta, Forced to Hide: The Human Cost of Legal Precarity and Labour Exploitation
  • Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)
  • Robert Bosch Stiftung