No room at the inn - 22 children are facing eviction from Malta
A group of non-EU families residing in Malta have been told by Identity Malta they can no longer keep their children here, since they do not have enough money to sustain them.
The government entity over the past few days sent out letters refusing the residence permits of 22 children as young as two years old, asserting that as of the date of receipt of these letters, the minors would be in Malta illegally.
According to the agency, their parents do not satisfy the financial requirements of a policy, which requires third country nationals to earn €19,000 a year, as well as €3,800 extra for each child. The figures do not include bonuses or overtime.
The policy can be waived “at the sole discretion of the director” if both parents are in employment but do not reach the amount stipulated. Prior to this year, this was often the case with many third country nationals who worked in low-paid jobs.
However, in September, Times of Malta reported that many families were not being allowed to lodge applications because their earnings failed to meet the financial requirements of the policy.
Asked if staff at Identity Malta had the right to refuse applicants to lodge an application, a...