"The migrants caught in Malta's labour trap", 16 August 2024

As Malta fills labour gaps with South Asian migrants, these workers face a harsh reality of exploitation, trafficking and abuse.

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Addressing labour shortages, migrants from India, followed by others from South Asian countries such as Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, arrive with dreams of achieving economic stability and supporting their families.

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In Malta, however, they face significant challenges, including human trafficking, workplace exploitation, discrimination in the housing market and daily encounters with racism as they strive to build a new life.

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A Maltese restaurant owner was arrested on 24 July and sentenced to two years in prison for human trafficking, having lured South Asian migrants across continents with promises of jobs that didn’t exist. In recent months, another reportedly fraudulent agent made headlines for scamming hundreds of Indian migrants, but after skipping bail, he remains at large, continuing his jobs-for-fees scheme in Georgia.

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In the post-pandemic era, more than 25,000 South Asian migrants in Malta are considered top "third-country nationals" (TCNs) - people with non-EU citizenship. Many work in sectors such as hospitality, construction and delivery. They have been flocking to Malta due to its open work permit system.

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However, agencies have been exploiting the system, arranging labour under false pretenses in what some describe as a modern-day-slavery scheme. There are increasing reports of agencies acting as fronts for scammers and traffickers.