Living with ‘uninvited guests’ of necessity? The dilemma of African migrants sandwiched between public attitudes and economic realities in Malta

Abstract

This current study establishes how host-state economic realities (economic boom and labour shortages) and refugee security interact with the broader dynamics of irregular migration. It explores the circumstances in which migrant communities experience stereotypes, public attitudes, and racial discrimination in the context of contemporary Maltese immigration. Drawing on focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, informal conversations, sample survey and extant migration literature, the study interrogates the resilience of African refugees and asylum seekers and the political will of the Maltese authorities to protect them. It offers policy recommendations to foster social cohesion, human dignity, and equal concern which are necessary for achieving effective migrant integration.