The Maltese diaspora : the historical development of migration from Malta

Abstract

A study of the complexities of migration in relation to Malta, its history and geography, provides the general framework for an examination of three separate topics: emigration from Malta to Canada in the period from 1945 to 1960; the movement of Maltese between countries overseas; and return migration to Malta. This study argues that population pressure and economic factors alone are insufficient explanations for the high levels of Maltese emigration. Equally indispensable were chain migration, active government support of emigration, and cultural acceptance of migration by the Maltese people, and the receptiveness, at times, of receiving countries to Maltese immigrants.