Years in Malta Should Count: Fair Long-Term Residency Rules

Petition addressed to: Kamra tad-Deputati ta' Malta

Petition for Fair Long-Term Residence Rules in Malta

Many people have lived and worked in Malta for more than five years. We work, pay taxes and social security contributions, raise our children and contribute to Maltese society.

However, eligibility for Long-Term Resident Status depends on immigration status. People under Temporary Protection or with asylum seeker status may not qualify, while recognised refugees may be eligible if they meet the legal requirements.

Why should our status make such a difference when we all work, pay taxes and contribute to the same country?

Another concern is the I Belong Programme. People attend integration courses, complete the programme, take part in interviews and receive certificates, believing that integration is an important step towards building a future in Malta. Yet afterwards, they may discover that their protection status makes them ineligible to apply for Long-Term Resident Status. This raises an important question: what is the purpose of encouraging integration if people still have no clear opportunity to benefit from it?

Some people with pending appeals are also legally allowed to stay and work in Malta and continue paying taxes, but the years spent in this situation may not count towards the residence period required for Long-Term Resident Status.

We understand that different protection statuses have different legal conditions. However, we ask for a fair review of the rules so that long-term residence, employment, tax contributions and genuine efforts to integrate are properly considered, regardless of previous protection status, subject to the relevant legal requirements.

We are not asking for automatic residency. We are asking for a fair opportunity to apply and have our circumstances considered.

Please support this petition and help us call for fairer Long-Term Resident Status rules for everyone who has made Malta their home.