In one sense, Malthus reversed the arguments of the mercantilists that the number of people determined the nation's resources, adopting the contrary argument of the Physiocrats that the resource base determined the number of people. Some believe the transactional theories of Trump in the US mimic mercantilism in the past.

Back to local population projections, it cannot be stated too strongly that such exercises are not predictions, though they are misinterpreted as such. A projection is a "what-if" exercise based on explicit assumptions that may or may not themselves be correct. If the assumptions are implausible, then so is the projection.

In 2023, the National Youth Council of Ireland called for action from their government, so young people were not overlooked in the budget. Surveys back then revealed that seven out of 10 young Irish were seriously considering emigration for a better quality of life than in Ireland. This clearly shows that, with political propaganda ranging from the Opposition's new leader speaking of "a better quality of life" to Labour's contrasting claim that "the best is still to come", it is no surprise that our youth feel confused. How can youth be sure that they would enjoy a better quality of life elsewhere?

At the moment our country does experience a shortage of labour because of migration, which can lead to a "brain drain", depriving us of the skilled people needed to sustain the economy. There may also be drops in productivity when highly-skilled migrants leave the country or when AI automation replaces jobs in factories.

A new scheme, in collaboration with Jobsplus and educational institutions, provides training and guidance to help citizens gain and enhance their qualifications. The government has recently renewed the youth guarantee scheme with an investment of €10 million. It noted that nine out of 10 of the 6,000 young people who took part in the scheme last year obtained skills and higher qualifications or entered the workplace.

Yet can one really blame youth's desire to migrate when for instance home ownership has become an unattainable dream for many young families? Rising property prices and expensive rental rates make it nearly impossible for first-time buyers to enter the housing market without taking on unsustainable debt. The government continues to boast about economic success, but numbers alone do not tell the real story of daily struggles. As financial stress increases, so does social instability. Crime rates are rising, and many citizens feel an increasing sense of insecurity. Scandalous reports reveal the theft of 200kg of drugs from security barracks under Armed Forces surveillance.

Moving on, an EY survey had revealed that, despite our political parties boasting that they had the interests of youngsters at heart, observers were not convinced at all. The latter harbour different values than those prioritised by politicians. Young people are keen in preserving the land, (such as fields laid fallow or ODZ) nature and environment than being bothered about statistics on economic growth, millions of visitors, educational benefits, cash cheques at end of year. Our youth would rather live and work in another country, but whether their dreams and concerns are translated into reality is another story.

There is much more to it than meets the eye. And let us face it, this phenomenon of a poll showing 70% of youngsters wishing to leave their country for good and seek better pastures abroad is not something to throw under the carpet or be labelled as gaslighting. The pangs of higher cost of living, run-away inflation and corruption odour recently extenuated by an NAO investigation on private property deals allegedly found to be undercharged by Lands Authority to Fortina Hotel Group - they were not based on a professional valuation (possibly still unpaid) by Grant Thornton. The government short-changed taxpayers by nearly €16 million in a controversial 2019 land deal with the Fortina Hotel Group, according to a damning investigation. More complaints follow from the unbridled run by speculators' drive to pour more concrete. 

Unrelenting noise pollution from construction, and the not-so-silent invasion of tower cranes continue to exacerbate the youth's plight, so it is not unexpected that some youngsters are drawn to move out. Naturally, a majority of those who leave the country are of working age and usually hold a higher education degree.

The good news is that a revised labour force migration policy now introduces measures to oblige employers to favour Maltese and EU workers, retain their non-EU workers and treat them well and encourages non-EU workers who are already working in Malta to stay, up-skill and integrate into local communities. It is based on four principles: retaining existing workers, protecting workers' rights and conditions, aligning labour migration to workforce needs and refocusing migration on a skills-based approach.

The government wants to encourage employers to retain as many of their workers as possible for as long as possible. The policy will make life easier and decrease paperwork and expenses for companies that retain workers and treat them well. Regardless, many students are dead set on moving permanently abroad after completing their studies. They are seriously aware that in Malta, unless you count high in party pecking order, rewarding employment opportunities are few and far between, including for the highly educated.

Eventually, abroad they hope to have decent traction in a larger labour market, a laid-back atmosphere, and opportunities to pursue an international career. All this indicates that dissatisfaction with the current place of living tends to increase the potential for our youth's decision to migrate abroad. As emigration rates increase, the migrants' overall quality of life, reflected in their financial status and job satisfaction, access to quality medical and educational services, and leisure opportunities, can potentially gratify their move.

Today, globalisation, ease of travel and other comforts have made it easier to migrate than in the 50s and 60s, when hundreds of youths emigrated to find employment and escape poverty. 

George M. Mangion is a senior partner PKF Malta

gmm@pkfmalta.com