All university graduates or those who meet the requirements for a managerial or technical position and earn at least €25,000 per year are allowed to apply, according to the Times of Malta, according to EU Helpers.
Employers must verify that there are no Maltese or EU workers available to take on the position in order for employees to be considered as applicants for the scheme.
Additionally, the program allows qualified foreign nationals to have their applications processed in 15 working days, whereas highly paid managers' or technicians' applications are expedited in 5 days under the “Key Employee Initiative,” the original program that served as the model for the “Specialist Employee Initiative."
The number of foreign workers coming to Malta has increased significantly, from 15,000 in 2012 to 97,000 in 2022 (a 546 percent rise), according to data from Jobsplus. However, a survey by Eurobarometer last year found that almost two-thirds of Malta's enterprises were facing a skills gap in the local labor market.
The increase in migration, especially from third-world (non-EU) nations, has put pressure on the nation's housing and transportation infrastructures and sparked worries about worker exploitation. Maltese nationals have voiced their worries regarding the effects of this wave of immigration.
Prime Minister Robert Abela responded to the criticism by saying that although the government is trying to control and manage population growth, there is not enough labor in the area to meet demand. The "Specialist Employee Initiative" was introduced in line with the government's resolve to close skill gaps and facilitate the more seamless integration of skilled foreign workers.
With the fast-track procedure in place, the Maltese government hopes to reconcile the needs of the labor market with the worries expressed by the populace about the difficulties brought about by a rise in migration.
AIDA refuge Information Database reports that 973 persons in total requested refuge in Malta in 2022. With this, there are now 1,730 cases outstanding in total. Fifteen individuals received refugee status, while seventy-seven were given secondary protection.
Furthermore, 783 were turned down, increasing the percentage of rejections to 30%, when the percentage of refugees was only 0.6%. A total of 6.5% of subsidiary protection rates are issued. Syria (243), Eritrea (93), Bangladesh (78), and Ukraine (92) are the primary origin nations.