Letters | Sunday, 19 April 2009

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No change in policy at ETC

We refer to the article in MaltaToday of 12 April 2009, entitled “Work permits denied to failed asylum seekers”.
The article states that asylum seekers whose application has been rejected twice are no longer considered eligible for temporary, renewable three-month work permits, after a recent change of policy by ETC.
This is wrong. ETC notes that no such change of policy has taken place. Failed asylum seekers continue to be granted three-month work permits, renewable until repatriation.
It transpires that this misinformation was issued by a new clerk at ETC, who has since been reprimanded for taking upon himself any policy-related questions.
Furthermore, however, we appeal to you to route any questions through our Communications Office, to ensure that such events do not recur.

Jonathan Brimmer
Employment and Training Corporation

With regards to the report “Work permits denied to failed asylum seekers” (MaltaToday, April 12, 2009), to set the record straight, at no time did I state the matter of work permits is “an immigration issue and has little to do with integration.”
What I actually told your correspondent, following his query, was that the issuing of travel documents is an immigration matter and, therefore, I am not the right person to refer it to. I also requested him to refer queries on work permits to the competent authority.

Alex Tortell
Director, OAIWAS

Editorial Note:
MaltaToday stands by its story – in making its query with the ETC, this newspaper was put across to a spokesperson who confidently confirmed the details requested.

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