They arrive with suitcases full of expectation and the quiet belief that hard work will lead to stability. For many TCNs in Malta, the decision to come here is not taken lightly. It often means leaving children behind, borrowing money, or saying goodbye to a life that no longer offers a future. What draws them in is a promise: decent work, fair pay, and the chance to live without constant uncertainty.
Unfortunately, that promise does not always survive first contact with reality.
Many third-country nationals describe the same pattern.
What was agreed before arrival slowly begins to shift. Working hours stretch far beyond what was discussed. Pay arrives late, or in smaller amounts than expected.
Contracts are vague, verbal, or quietly rewritten. And because residency is tied so closely to employment, questioning these changes feels dangerous. A job, after all, is not just a source of income – it is their right to stay.
One TCN, who agreed to speak anonymously, described living in a constant state of alert. “I was told I would work eight hours,” they said. “Most days it is twelve. Sometimes more. But if I complain, I know I can be replaced.” The fear is not abstract. Losing a job can mean losing a permit, and losing a permit can mean being told to leave the country within weeks. In that context, silence becomes a form of self-protection.
This is how exploitation often works. Not through overt violence or cruelty, but through uncertainty. Through a system that places all the power on one side and all the risk on the other. For many TCNs in Malta, there is no real safety net – only the hope that tomorrow will not bring a phone call that changes everything.
Public discussion rarely reflects this reality. TCNs are often spoken about as numbers or as competition, framed as people who are taking jobs or straining resources. What is missing from that conversation is the simple truth that many of these workers are holding up entire sectors of the economy. They clean hotels, care for the elderly, staff restaurants, deliver food, and keep essential services running. Their labour is visible everywhere, even if their voices are not.
The idea that TCNs are the enemy of Maltese workers ignores where the real imbalance lies. When people are afraid to speak up, working conditions worsen for everyone.
When exploitation becomes normal, fairness disappears from the workplace altogether. This is not a conflict between locals and TCNs in Malta but between dignity and vulnerability.
Despite the hardship, many TCNs speak of moments of kindness that stay with them. A neighbour who smiles. A colleague who listens. A stranger who treats them with respect. These moments, small as they may seem, matter deeply to people who live with constant uncertainty. “I don’t want special treatment,” the interviewee said. “I just want to be treated like a human being.”
Behind the TCN acronym, debates and headlines, are individuals trying to build a life under difficult conditions. TCNs in Malta are parents sending money home, young people chasing opportunity, and workers doing jobs that many others no longer want to do. They are not asking to be rescued. They are asking to be seen.
Perhaps empathy begins there – not in policy arguments or political slogans, but in recognising that the fear and insecurity many TCNs live with every day is not a personal failure. It is the result of choices, systems, and silences that we all have a role in questioning.
Because the way a society treats those with the least power says something about everyone who lives in it.
Do you have an experience you’d like to share with us at Wham, either in your name or anonymously? Contact us! We’d love to hear from you!
Claire Galea is a self-employed holistic care practitioner with formal training in nursing. She is passionate about patient-centered care and public education on health and social issues. Committed to lifelong learning, Claire enjoys exploring a broad range of topics, from spirituality to contemporary affairs.
Claire is also passionate about spreading awareness on the negative effects that domestic abuse leaves on its victims’ mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing. She is the author of two downloadable ebooks, namely Heal Your Life Forever and 5 Simple Steps To Creating The Life Of Your Dreams.
Click here to check out Claire’s full bio as well as a list of all her Wham published articles
