Ministry for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties, Perceptions about Third Country Nationals and Immigration in Malta, 2015
Country
Malta
Title
Year
Type of publication
Geographical coverage
National
Area/location of interest
Type of Institution
Public authority
Institution
Main Thematic Focus
Public perceptions & attitudes
Target Population
Migrants
Key findings
The survey assesses the perception of the general population in Malta about Third Country nationals. The survey shows that majority of respondents have contact with Third Country Nationals and most of them have a correct estimate of the number of foreigners living in Malta. However, the perception that Malta is too small to cater for foreigners is still widespread. While a small majority of respondents knows what integration means, most respondents agree that the government should make an effort on integration. Nevertheless, a section of the population remains hostile to the presence of foreigners and most of the respondents view foreigners either as a source of investment or as labour force for jobs that Maltese do not want to do. Concern on religious extremism also emerges particularly among university educated respondents.
Methodology (Qualitative/Quantitative and exact type used, questionnaires etc)
The survey was conducted by telephone questionnaires. A pilot study was first conducted to ensure that the respondents could understand the questions. Experienced interviewers with a minimum 5-year experience in the field conducted the interviews. The interviewers were supervised. Only respondents aged over 16 years of age where allowed to participate.
Sample details and representativeness
1434 phone calls were made have and the survey was stopped when the 1000 quota of completed surveys was reached. All the results have been weighed to reflect the population and age distribution of the population as represented in the 2011 census of the population carried out by the National Office of Statistics.
The population was broken down in six brackets namely males and females in 16-34, 35-54 and over 55 year old age groups. These broad age groups were chosen to ensure a representative sample for each bracket.