Identity Malta has stated that within the first half an hour of operation, all those queuing up earlier this week were almost all inside and that all applicants were waiting for their turn in the appropriate section by 8:30am.

Identity Malta was reacting to a video taken outside the Expatriates Unit, where a long queue of people could be seen and sparked attention on social media pages. This newsroom sent questions to a government spokesperson regarding the situation. They stated that the footage was taken just after the Expatriates Unit opened its doors and that customers preferred to queue early in order to be served first. “Customers are reassured that they will be attended to during the Unit’s servicing hours, and within the first half an hour of operation, almost everyone was inside, by 8:30 all applicants were waiting for their turn in the appropriate section.”

When asked regarding the length of the queue, Identity Malta expressed that as this week is August shutdown, many took the opportunity to initiate the process to renew their residence permit, as a number of applicants received their health screening approvals or acknowledgments.

“As previously planned, Identity Malta is revisiting its existing procedures and is committed towards digitalizing most of its services, however, one must bear in mind that not all processes can be digitalized because of security reasons. An important step in achieving this is through the launch of a new online platform which will allow employers and third country nationals, who are still abroad, to apply online.

“Currently, a pilot project is underway and the system is being tested out.”