Third Country National (TCN) nurses fear speaking out in relation to their precarious work conditions because a lot of them are illegal workers through no fault of their own according to Patricia Graham, leader of the ‘EU Nationals Advisory’ lobby group in Malta,

The EU Nationals Advisory lobby group represents a class of residents seeking assistance with utility bills, tenancy issues, and obtaining documents due to Identity Malta’s long delays.

A lot of nurses are ‘illegal’ workers, through no fault of their own, and terrified of speaking out at work lest they get expelled from the country and given an EU-wide ban, Graham explained.

Hired from India as carers, after their ‘carer’ contracts are terminated and they’re re-employed as nurses, there is no application made for their change of position with Identity Malta, effectively rendering them illegal.

“They have no work permits or residency cards yet tax and social security are being deducted from their salary,” Graham said. “And this isn’t just affecting nurses at Mater Dei, but also nurses and carers in many of our residential care homes.”

“To date, over 40 nurses have come forward to speak to me, and these are the brave ones as some have been threatened with being let go without salary after making enquiries about their situation,” she said. 

“There are over 500 who have worked here for periods ranging from 1 year to just over 2 years.”

On top of paying between €6,000 and €8,000 to an agent in India, the TCN are forced to fork out a further €4,000 to complete a “bridging course” designed to top up their skills once they arrive in Malta.

“They have not seen family since they arrived in Malta because if they leave to visit family they will receive an EU-wide ban for being overstayers.”

“Six months ago, one of the nurses told me he contacted Health Minister Chris Fearne but he received no reply,” Graham said. “I also contacted the Health Minister and the only reply I got was that HR would look into it.”

To add insult to injury, the nurses are being forced to make a payment of €332.50 in order for their applications to be processed at Identity Malta.

But Graham said that “there is no urgency for the nurses and carers to receive their residency card and papers. It seems they just been lumped into the pile of people already waiting at Identity Malta.”

“After this all went down, the nurses should have been called immediately and their cards printed on the spot free of charge. Is it because the penny has dropped and they are now starting to realize how many of the nurses intend on leaving the country?” she asked.

“I feel sorry for the patients who will at the end of the day be the ones who suffer.”