LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – According to the latest edition of the State of the Nation survey commissioned by the Office of the President of Malta, over one in every four people say they feel “very uncomfortable” with Maltàs multiculturalism. A further 10% say they are uncomfortable, with a third saying that they are undecided about this issue.
The survey found that the Maltese are less comfortable with multiculturalism than they were in most previous years.
People across all age groups tend to feel the same way about the issue, although people between the ages of 26 and 35 tended to view multiculturalism slightly more favourably.
However, the survey found that most (55%) agreed that importing foreign workers to carry out jobs the Maltese don’t want to do is a good solution. Higher-income earners in particular, were overwhelmingly in favour of this solution.
The survey reflects Maltàs mixed reaction to the country’s changing demographics, with 2021’s census finding that more than one in every five people living in Malta is not Maltese.
Prime Minister Robert Abela was speaking at the closing of the presentation of the fourth annual State of the Nation survey admitted that people want the Maltese government to move “at a quicker pace” towards an economic model that improves their quality of life and away from one focused just on economic growth. Abela acknowledged that Maltàs economic growth had introduced new challenges, particularly in terms of pressure on Maltàs infrastructure and demographics, that need to be prioritised. Abela pledged to look towards strengthening economic areas that “least impact our country’s infrastructure”, going on to list several possible niches, from robotics to artificial intelligence, digital economy, financial services and gaming.
The conference was also addressed by PN MP Claudette Buttigieg, who spoke on behalf of Opposition leader Bernard Grech.
Buttigieg said that last week’s MEPs election result sent “a strong message” about several issues, including the fact that “we need to look at Maltàs economic model through a different lens”. “This is an issue that PN has long been saying, one that needs attention,” she said.
Closing the conference, President Myriam Spiteri Debono expressed her concern at the survey’s findings about multiculturalism and foreign workers. “Maybe we should ask the Maltese who don’t want foreign workers point-blank whether they are ready to carry out the work they do,” she said. ”
They feel that some work is below them but they expect these jobs to still be done,” she insisted.
– Foto: DOI –
(ITALPRESS).
