The Intercultural and Anti-Racism Unit was set up in the first months of 2018 and is a dedicated integration unit within HRD. It takes care of the day-to-day implementation of the Migrant Integration Strategy and Action Plan, and serves as the main governmental coordinating body that imparts information, receives integration requests, works towards an anti-racist society, and follows migrants’ progress on their integration in Malta.
The strategy and action plan create a framework for understanding successful integration through the level of the migrants’ own sense of belonging to Maltese society and the space Maltese society allows for such integration in its different sectors and strata. Malta today is a receiving country in terms of migration flows, and in turn is becoming increasingly diverse ethnically, culturally and linguistically. This development is in sync with similar trends experienced by other developed nations before us and is an indicator of the country’s economic development and prosperity. The accommodation of this diversity in all spheres of society presents both a challenge and an opportunity, which, if addressed properly, can lead to the enrichment of Maltese society as a whole.
The Unit draws attention to patterns of issues and concerns raised by migrants and their respective organisations, with the aim of drawing durable solutions as well as assisting Government policy development in this field. Furthermore, the Unit makes best use of existing sources of funding for the enhancement of services, provision of training, awareness raising and community building.
The Intercultural and Anti-Racism Unit is Malta’s entry point to migrant integration as it seeks to assist all persons of migrant background residing in Malta on their individual path to integration. In this sense, integration means that Malta as a host country retains its multifaceted and evolving identity in a globalised world. It also means that, henceforth, the identities of locals and newcomers to our society will increasingly be interwoven in an anti-racist community. Of course, the recognition and celebration of diversity and the promotion of equality are not sufficient in themselves as an integration strategy. Instead, we need to ensure that migrants in Malta have a voice, are recognised for their true value and are able to build their sense of belonging within society. It is this pathway that will enable us to ensure a fair and just society for all, a society that maximises on every individual’s potential in order to create spaces for community building at the local and national levels for all those who call Malta home.