The implementation of the integration policy for third country nationals in Malta

Abstract

A new trend in integration policies seems to be threatening the very thing they hope to achieve ; integration. A large influx of third country nationals (TCNs) has brought cultural diversity to European countries and the European Union (EU) and National governments are recognising the social and economic benefits that they can bring to society as a whole if they are properly integrated. As a result, efforts are being made through integration policies to facilitate their integration.

A critical factor for successful integration is the access to equal rights and treatment enjoyed by local citizens offered through long-term residency and citizenship status. However, a trend called ‘civic integration’ has made integration a compulsory requirement to access these rights. It has become commonplace across the EU that TCNs must now attend mandatory courses and pass tests that assess their knowledge on the language, history and values of their hosts’ societies. Scholars argue that rather than aiding integration, these requirements are erected as barriers to migration and are being used as a selective mechanism targeting unwanted migrants.

This dissertation will focus on Malta’s integration policy which was adopted in 2017. The research is guided by two research questions ; Firstly, to what extent is the conept of civic integration reflected in Malta’s integration policy? Secondly, Is Malta’s integration policy being implemented in a way that restricts the integration of third country nationals or supports it in terms of obtaining long-term residency and citizenship status? A two pronged research methodology is used to answer the research questions. The Civic Integration Index (CIVIX) assigns a score to Malta’s integration policy which measures the scope and depths of the civic integration requirements and secondary data analysis using the top-down approach to policy implementation is used to analyse the implementation of the integration policy.

The major findings are that Malta has relatively minimum and easy civic integration requirements when compared to other European states. The integration policy shows concrete efforts being made on the part of the Maltese governments to support TCNs to achieve long-term residency. Although it is not being used a selective mechanism on the basis of race, it is selective on the basis of education and wealth. Furthermore, the policy remains restrictive toward the obtaining of citizenship status with no active programme in place to facilitate TCNs to meet the necessary requirements. In this way, integration of TCNs cannot be fully achieved until the barriers to citizenship are removed.