Watch: PN Will Require Foreign Workers To Study Basic Maltese To Renew Work Permit
The Nationalist Party has promised to introduce a mandatory Maltese language course for third-country nationals who wish to extend their work permit if it is elected to government.
This proposal forms part of the PN’s new ‘vision of excellence for Malta’ policy document and is intended to better integrate foreigners into Maltese communities.
It will oblige third-country nationals to sit for a course in basic Maltese before renewing their work permit, that is if they want to work in the country for longer than a year.
They didn’t clarify whether workers will have to sit for some kind of exam after the course and what will happen to those who fail, nor whether these lessons will be offered by the state.
Other proposed obligations for third-country nationals wishing to work in Malta include fluency in English and basic knowledge of Malta and Maltese life.
A national AI-powered skills database will also be set up for the government to assess the job market in real-time, to assess which skills are in demand, and to inform the private sector which jobs it will grant foreigners a work permit for.
“The reality is that our islands are overpopulated and our quality of life is suffering,” PN MP Ivan Castillo said. We used to have a strong economy with fewer people and jobs that added value to our economy. Our economic vision will allow us to return to that economy and our tools will taper overpopulation during this transition.”
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