🇬🇧 Valletta, 22nd February, 2024

We, as long-term migrants living and working in Malta, are uniting to demand stability, not uncertainty, in our lives. In light of recent events and ongoing struggles faced by the migrant community, we are asserting our rights and calling for urgent action from authorities. We arrived in Malta years ago, leaving behind critical situations in our countries of origin, and now call Malta home. Although we were neither given protection nor a residence card, we were given the right to work legitimately and in turn to pay tax and national insurance for decades.

We have worked for years, side-by-side with our Maltese colleagues, made friends, set up family and had children in Malta. We are part of Malta’s economic success, we have filled labour gaps, and we have contributed to a welfare system that we can never be beneficiaries of. Our children know no other country, no other society but the Maltese one. They are, in fact, though not in law, Maltese.

And yet we continue to face discrimination, marginalisation and uncertainty. We live in constant fear of having our already precarious documents withdrawn for no valid reason, leaving us vulnerable to deportation, exploitation and unpredictability about our future.

• We urgently call for the release of Kusi Dismark, a long-standing member of our community who is facing deportation after 13 years of living and setting up a business in Malta. We also call for the release of individuals who, like Kusi, have been living in Malta for over 5 years and more, and have also been recently detained with a view to deportation.

• We are requesting the government to introduce a residence permit for anyone who has been working and living in Malta for a substantial amount of time. This could be the reintroduction of a scheme similar to the Specific Residence Authorisation, which was abruptly withdrawn, or the possibility to apply for a Single Work Permit. 

This measure is essential to provide stability and legal recognition to those who have long been integral parts of Malta’s society and economy. Regularisation also serves the Maltese economy by allowing us migrants, who are already in the country, to work and to continue to drive industry in a long-term and stable manner.  

It also allows us to better take care of ourselves and our children, to further our education and be effectively part of society.

• Our children have not lived in or visited any other country besides Malta. Malta is their home, and Maltese is their language of friendship, education, culture and eventually working life. They deserve citizenship rights and denying them such creates unnecessary barriers and uncertainties in their lives, jeopardising their access to education, healthcare, and other essential services.

• We finally call for comprehensive social support for individuals in our community with disabilities or those unable to work due to various reasons, such as old age or sickness. Although they may have contributed for years by paying tax and national insurance, they are not entitled to any disability or unemployment benefit. Access to adequate support is crucial to ensuring the well-being of all and the dignity of all.

As long-term undocumented migrants in Malta we are not asking for special treatment; we are simply demanding stability: the recognition of years of hard work, integration efforts, and contribution to Maltese society. There is nothing fair or just in leaving us and our children in this state of uncertainty and fear. There is no equality without equity! 

We will be meeting on Sunday 25th February at 15:00 at Ħamrun Square and will be walking to Valletta to present our demands to Parliament. We are supported in this protest by our employers, our neighbours, our colleagues and our friends.  We invite members of the migrant community, employers, friends, Maltese and other residents who support our cause to join us!

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Endorsed by the following organisations:

1. aditus foundation
2. ADPD – The Green Party
3. African Media Association Malta
4. Allied Rainbow Communities 
5. Blue Door Education
6. Dance Beyond Borders
7. Drachma LGBTI
8. Drachma Parents
9. Doctors for Choice
10. Forum Opportunitajiet Indaqs Partit Nazzjonalista (FOIPN)
11. Integra Foundation
12. JRS Malta
13. Justice and Peace Commission
14. Kopin
15. Kunsill Studenti Universitarji
16. Lawyers For Choice (L4C)
17. Men Against Violence 
18. Moviment Graffitti
19. Migrant Women Association Malta 
20. MGRM – Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement
21. Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Education University of Malta
22. Office of the Dean of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing 
23. Repubblika
24. SAR Malta Network
25. Segretarjat Assistenza Socjali (AKM)
26. Solidarjetá
27. SOS Malta
28. Spark 15
29. Sudanese Community Malta
30. Syrian Solidarity in Malta
31. The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation
32. The People for Change Foundation
33. Women for Women Foundation
34. Women’s Rights Foundation
35. Young Progressive Beings
36. #OccupyJustice

🇲🇹 Stqarrija għall-Istampa

Stabilità Mhux Inċertezza: Aħna Jistħoqqilna Jkollna d-Drittijiet Imħarsa!

Il-Belt Valletta, 22 ta’ Frar, 2024

Aħna, bħala migranti li ilna għal żmien twil ngħixu u naħdmu f’Malta, qed ningħaqdu flimkien biex nitolbu li f’ħajjitna jkollna sens ta’ stabilità, u mhux inċertezza. Fid-dawl ta’ avvenimenti riċenti u sfidi kontinwi li tiffaċċja l-komunità tal-migranti, qed nasserixxu d-drittijiet tagħna u qed insejħu għal azzjoni urġenti min-naħa tal-awtoritajiet. Aħna ġejna Malta snin ilu, hekk kif ħallejna warajna sitwazzjonijiet problematiċi immens fil-pajjiżi ta’ oriġini tagħna. Illum, inqisu lil Malta bħala darna. Għalkemm ma ġejniex mogħtija protezzjoni jew karta ta’ residenza, ingħatajna d-dritt li naħdmu b’mod leġittimu, u min-naħa tagħna, ilna nħallsu t-taxxa u l- assigurazzjoni nazzjonali għal snin sħaħ.

Ħdimna għal snin twal, spalla ma’ spalla, mal-kollegi Maltin tagħna; għamilna l-ħbieb, ħloqna familja u kellna t-tfal hawn Malta. Aħna parti mis-suċċess ekonomiku ta’ Malta. Imlejna fejn kien hemm lakuni fil-forza tax-xogħol, u kkontribwejna għal sistema ta’ protezzjoni soċjali li qatt ma nistgħu nibbenefikaw minnha. It-tfal tagħna ma jafu bl-ebda pajjiż ieħor, bl-ebda soċjetà oħra ħlief dik Maltija. Huma, fil-fatt — għalkemm mhux rikonoxxuti mil-liġi — Maltin. U minkejja dan kollu, nibqgħu nħabbtu wiċċna mad-diskriminazzjoni, mal-marġinalizzazzjoni u mal-inċertezza. Ngħixu f’biża’ kostanti li d-dokumenti diġà prekarji tagħna jiġu rtirati għall- ebda raġuni valida; xi ħaġa li tagħmilna vulnerabbli għad-deportazzjoni, l-esplojtazzjoni u n- nuqqas ta’ prevedibbiltà dwar il-futur tagħna.

• Qed nagħmlu appell urġenti biex jiġi rilaxxat Kusi Dismark, membru li ilu għal żmien twil stabbilit fil-komunità tagħna u li qed jiffaċċja d-deportazzjoni wara 13-il sena jgħix u jopera negozju f’Malta. Qed nitolbu wkoll biex individwi oħra li bħal Kusi ilhom jgħixu f’Malta għal aktar minn 5 snin u aktar, u li wkoll ġew detenuti bil-ħsieb li jiġu deportati, jiġu meħlusa.

• Qed nitolbu lill-Gvern biex jintroduċi permess għal residenza lil kull min ilu jaħdem u jgħix f’Malta għal ammont sostanzjali ta’ żmien. Dan jista’ jieħlu l- għamla tar-riintroduzzjoni ta’ skema simili għall-Awtorizzazzjoni tar-Residenza Speċifika, li kienet ġiet irtirata għal għarrieda, jew il-possibbiltà li wieħed japplika għal Permess tax-Xogħol Uniku.

Din il-miżura hija essenzjali biex jiġu pprovduti l-istabilità u r-rikonoxximent legali lil dawk li ilhom għal snin twal jiffurmaw parti integrali mis-soċjetà u l- ekonomija ta’ Malta. Ir-regolarizzazzjoni taqdi wkoll lill-ekonomija Maltija għax tippermetti lilna l-migranti, li diġà ninsabu f’dan il-pajjiż, biex naħdmu u nkomplu nservu ta’ ġid għall-industrija fit-tul u b’mod stabbli. Tippermettilna nieħdu ħsieb tagħna nfusna u ta’ wliedna aħjar, intejbu l- edukazzjoni tagħna u niffurmaw parti mis-soċjetà b’mod effettiv.

• It-tfal tagħna ma żaru jew għexu fl-ebda pajjiż ieħor għajr Malta. Malta hija d- dar tagħhom, u l-Malti għalihom huwa l-lingwa tal-ħbiberija, tal-edukazzjoni, tal-kultura, u eventwalment, tad-dinja tax-xogħol. Huma jistħoqqilhom li jkollhom id-drittijiet taċ-ċittadinanza, u jekk dawn se jibqgħu jiġu miċħuda lilhom, se jkomplu jinħolqu ostakli u inċertezzi bla bżonn f’ħajjithom, u l- aċċess tagħhom għall-edukazzjoni, il-kura tas-saħħa u servizzi oħra essenzjali jiġi pperikolat.

• Finalment, qed nappellaw għal appoġġ soċjali komprensiv lil individwi fil- komunità tagħna li għandhom diżabbiltà jew dawk li ma jistgħux jaħdmu minħabba diversi raġunijiet, fosthom l-anzjanità jew mard. Minkejja li setgħu fil-passat ikkontribwew għal snin sħaħ billi ħallsu t-taxxa u l-assigurazzjoni nazzjonali, mhumiex intitolati li jirċievu benefiċċji tad-diżabbiltà jew tal-qgħad. L-aċċess għal appoġġ adegwat huwa kruċjali sabiex jiġu żgurati l-benesseri u d-dinjità ta’ kulħadd.

Bħala migranti bla dokumenti li ilna għal żmien twil ngħixu f’Malta m’aħniex qed nitolbu xi trattament speċjali; sempliċiment qed nitolbu li jkollna stabbiltà, u li s-snin twal ta’ xogħol iebes, l-isforzi ta’ integrazzjoni u l-kontribuzzjoni tagħna lejn is-soċjetà Maltija jiġu rikonoxxuti. M’hemm xejn li hu ġust f’li aħna u wliedna nitħallew ngħixu fi stat ta’ inċertezza u

biża’. Ma jistax ikun hemm ugwaljanza jekk m’hemmx ekwità!

Il-Ħadd 25 ta’ Frar fit-15:00 se nkunu qed niltaqgħu fil-Pjazza tal-Ħamrun u se nimxu sal-Belt Valletta sabiex nippreżentaw it-talbiet tagħna quddiem il-Parlament. F’din il-protesta, qed niġu appoġġjati minn dawk li naħdmu magħhom, mill-ġirien, mill-kollegi u mill-ħbieb tagħna. Nistiednu lill-membri tal-komunità tal-migranti, impjegaturi, ħbieb, Maltin u residenti oħra li jappoġġjaw il-kawża tagħna biex jingħaqdu magħna!

• Tmiem – 

1. aditus foundation
2. ADPD – The Green Party
3. African Media Association Malta
4. Blue Door Education
5. Dance Beyond Borders
6. Drachma LGBTI
7. Drachma Parents
8. Doctors for Choice
9. Forum Opportunitajiet Indaqs Partit Nazzjonalista (FOIPN)
10. Integra Foundation
11. JRS Malta
12. Justice and Peace Commission
13. Kopin
14. Kunsill Studenti Universitarji
15. Lawyers For Choice (L4C)
16. Men Against Violence 
17. Moviment Graffitti
18. Migrant Women Association Malta 
19. MGRM – Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement
20. Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Education University of Malta
21. Office of the Dean of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing 
22. Repubblika
23. SAR Malta Network
24. Segretarjat Assistenza Socjali (AKM)
25. Solidarjetá
26. SOS Malta
27. Spark 15
28. Sudanese Community Malta
29. Syrian Solidarity in Malta
30. The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation
31. The People for Change Foundation
32. Women for Women Foundation
33. Women’s Rights Foundation
34. Young Progressive Beings
35. #OccupyJustice