22 Children In Malta Face Deportation Days Away From Christmas As Government Agency Issues Notice On Family Incomes
Twenty-two children living in Malta could face deportation just days away from Christmas because their family earnings are not within the threshold stipulated by Identity Malta’s policies.
ID Malta requires non-EU nationals to earn at least €19,000 a year in order to satisfy the financial necessities of the policy that awards them residence status on the island.
The Sunday Times of Malta reported yesterday that a number of families were sent letters from the ID department, informing them that they could no longer allow their children to remain in Malta.
The policy stipulates that, as well as the initial €19,000 to remain in Malta, parents of non-EU children are required to earn an extra €3,800 per child. This amount is not inclusive of bonuses or overtime.
Back in September it was being reported that families were unable to lodge applications because their earnings weren’t regarded as adequate by the government agency responsible for issuing their permits.
The families are predominantly from Serbia and have protested the denial of their applications on the basis of their circumstances. The families were also unable to appeal the decisions.
The families had banded together, forming a group Parents in Malta. The group had demanded ID Malta accept their applications twice and, as a result, were informed of their refusals this week.
Some families were refused for falling short of the mark by as little as €143, like the Popovic family. Vladica Popovic arrived in Malta two years ago, his wife and children moved over six months ago. Their required combined earnings should have totalled €26,600 with their two children but the couple only declared €26,457.
Archbishop Scicluna has since said in a Tweet that he is in contact with the government, offering the Church’s assistance to prevent the expulsion of these children.
MEP Roberta Metsola also weighed in on the situation for the parents, slamming Joseph Muscat for allowing this to happen so close to Christmas.
Joseph Calleja, the Maltese tenor, also called for unity in putting things right for the families who face a Christmas apart from their children as a result of the decision.
Another family were refused their applications because they fell short of a combined income by merely €200. Velimir Dulo and his wife declared a total annual income of more than €30,000 but because their basic annual salary only totalled €26,400 before bonuses they were told their children could no longer reside in Malta with them.
A spokesperson for ID Malta said to the Times that the income requirement stipulated in the policy is there so as to guarantee a decent standard of living to all migrant families and their children.
A Change.org petition has since been set up to save the children.The petition has been signed by a number of people already, with signatures reaching over 2,500 already, including the University of Malta’s Dean of the Faculty of Education Colin Calleja.