Originally published: August 2017
Note: I wrote another article about Malta in 2022, sharing my latest views and feelings about the situation there.
A few years ago I decided to leave my home country and try my luck abroad. This wasn’t a spontaneous decision at all, rather it was the result of many years during which my disillusion and frustration with Malta had been growing and growing until I felt I had to take action or I would fall into a very negative perpetual state of mind.
Of course, I have many friends and dear family back in Malta, but honestly, I don’t miss living there. I make it a point to visit at least once a year and I usually have a good time catching up with friends and spending time with my family, but I don’t feel like I would like to go back and live there.
As you can imagine, several friends and family members ask me why this is so. I’ve finally found some time to really list the reasons for my moving away from Malta and why I don’t feel as comfortable living there as I do in other places.
While this post will be very honest, I’m afraid that some readers will find it too negative or downright offensive. Please keep in mind that is an honest outpouring of my thoughts and feelings and is no way meant to attack anyone or show any lack of appreciation. I did grow up in Malta and received many good things, I was blessed with a great family and a good education and also had lots of great experiences. However, as I grew older I started to feel that this was not the place where I wanted to spend the rest of my life in, and this is an attempt to describe why.
Malta is described in propaganda as being an idyllic “paradise on earth” island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Surely life is incredibly good over there! Not to mention it’s a tax haven!
First of all, Malta is no tax haven if you’re Maltese. There are a few schemes designed to attract business and executives from abroad. These schemes have been widely used and abused, and that’s where the reputation for being a tax haven is coming from. The island is also famous for housing a great number of online gambling companies. These companies came to Malta due to the fiscal and regulatory incentives and they are by and large doing extremely well.
Online gambling is not something that interests me and in general, I don’t like the vibe that they have about them. I’m sure many Maltese will disagree with me on this, but this is my view on the topic. The gambling companies pay very well and usually provide attractive offices and perks to their employees. Due to them, property prices in the Sliema and St Julian’s area have risen to incredible levels (many would agree that it’s bubble stage already). A whole financial services industry has grown to support these companies.
The downside? Apart from the moral doubts of working at these companies or even incentivizing them to move to Malta, I see a lot of dependence on them. If another country were to offer better regulations and tax incentives, it is likely that many of these companies would leave, as they don’t have any significant ties with Malta. They are merely using the country. In the eventuality of them leaving, we will see serious repercussions on property prices and the financial services industry. Whether this situation ever plays out is anyone’s guess, but it’s definitely something that has always bothered me.
Now I don’t mean to turn this into an attack on gambling companies. They do well to seek out the best environment for them to operate so I don’t blame them for anything. I certainly didn’t leave Malta because of this, so let’s explore some other more important reasons for me leaving.
If I were to describe Malta in one word, it would be frustrating. There is no doubt that islands are (were?) blessed with natural beauty, great weather and beautiful sea. I think the small size of the islands is, however, a big problem for people like me. It is clear that you can find idiots in every country, but in bigger countries, you can mostly keep away from them. You can frequent different places, live in different areas, and generally live amongst people that you like. Not so in Malta, every time you step outside of your door you are bound to experience some kind of ignorance, be it illegal construction, irresponsible driving, and unprofessional behavior. There is no deeply ingrained culture of doing things the right way. Rather it’s more of a “whatever, if it barely works then it’s good enough”.
I acknowledge that I have trouble really describing what it is that frustrates me and pains me so much about living in Malta. I also know that most Maltese genuinely love living in Malta, and whenever I have tried to speak out against the way things are done, the usual reaction is to try and shut me up and tell me that things aren’t so bad.
I inevitably realized that there was no way I’m going to change the culture of a country. One of the best pieces of advice was given to me by a Bulgarian builder in Malta. In one of my moments of frustration, the builder, who was fixing some stuff in our office, overheard me complain about things in Malta. He calmly came up to me and told me “my friend, if you don’t like the menu, change the restaurant”. It was a seemingly joking and simple comment, but it rang so true for me that that was the moment that I decided to leave for good, and sure enough, two months later I left.
Living in Malta, at least as a local, involves sustaining yourself (whether you want it or not) on a constant stream of local news. You can’t escape the latest political mess, and the smallest incidence can make front-page news. It is really an environment that discourages you to think big and expand your mental horizons. For many years I found it very stifling and I harbored a lot of internal anxiety, frustration, and anger due to this situation over which I had little control.
Since moving abroad, all these effects instantly disappeared and I finally felt free to be what I really want to be and rapidly increase my knowledge in the areas that interest me, such as investing.
They say that a person is the sum of the other people that are closest to him. In Malta, I always struggled to surround myself with people who would constantly inspire me and drive me to become a better person. Due to the small island mentality, there seems to be a lot of jealousy and people try to keep you in line. You’re best just being an average Joe behaving like everyone else if you want to live a good life there. Do something significantly different than the rest and you’re going to have a very difficult time indeed.
But come on Jean, you might say, what about the lovely “best in the world” weather that Malta is blessed with? Well yes, Malta does indeed have very hot summers and mild wet winters. The problem is that the vast majority of houses have zero insulation and in the winter months you can feel really uncomfortable due to the insane levels of humidity and cold inside. Although I always felt bad during the winters, reality really struck during my first experience of winter in the UK, when I realized that I was much happier in winter there than I had ever been in Malta. Like many other countries, buildings there are well insulated and have good heating, so you can stay in your flip-flops and shorts inside in winter. In Malta, I would be wearing jackets, long johns and a beanie and I’d still be uncomfortably cold.
One other big pain point: the roads. Malta’s road surfaces are among the worst in Europe and are more befitting of a third-world country than a country that presents itself as being a hub of innovation and being on par with its European counterparts. I once tried taking my Brompton bike to Malta to cycle around during our holiday but ended up walking back home after 200 meters. There are way too many potholes, bumps, and uneven road surfaces to be able to ride a bike like that comfortably without damaging it. Not to mention the challenge of staying alive when riding a bike in Malta.
Some of my friends have been severely injured due to irresponsible driving or bad road surfaces, and one of them even died by the roadside after being run over by a youngster driving without a license. I won’t even get started on the Maltese judiciary, but I’ll just mention that after eight years this man has not been sentenced yet. See here and here for more great examples of Maltese incompetency where justice is concerned.
A related aspect is the lack of good pavements. Unfortunately, Malta is not a walkable place at all. We grow up getting accustomed to getting out of our houses and into the car to get whisked to wherever we need to be. This leads to people exercising less and the resulting obesity issues. Malta has the highest child obesity rate in Europe, and Maltese adults are the second most obese in Europe. This fact is evident to me whenever I land in Malta and have a look around. I believe the walkability issue is a significant contributor to the problem. Owning a car is almost a necessity and gives you the independence to go wherever you want, while public transport is of average quality and mostly consists of buses and taxes (an underground metro system would be a game changer). Of course, we can all see with our own eyes that traffic has increased exponentially during the past twenty years, to the point that you are now guaranteed to get stuck in a traffic jam every time you go for a drive, at any time except during the night. Given that in general people tend to keep their cars far longer than the European average, we have a lot of pollution from vehicles and that affects everyone’s health.
Moreover, Maltese people in general tend to overeat, with typically huge portions being served in families, while fast food has gained in popularity. The famous mediterranean diet is not really present in Malta, instead people tend to consume large quantities of bread, junk food and pasta. Kids are given sweets abundantly. This is coupled with a sedentary lifestyle and other bad habits like smoking and alcohol consumption, and you get the resulting obesity situation. A visit to the country’s main hospital will also give a clear indication to where all this is leading to, with crowded waiting rooms filled with people who could clearly used a better diet instead of being given more pills.
Back to the lack of paving. In other countries, I got used to walking a lot, but in Malta it’s impossible to run any errands on foot except if you’re going around the corner from your house. Pavements seem to be an afterthought and come in all shapes and sizes. Some are tiled, some have rough surfaces, some are super narrow etc. What this also means is that we have a big problem with accessibility. One of the main highlights of my trips to Malta is spending time with my 93-year-old grandma, and I would love to be able to take her out for a walk while we chat about our lives. Alas, it’s pretty much impossible given the state of the pavements and the very close proximity of cars and trucks belching out fumes.
Lastly, let’s come back to the idyllic island thing one more time. During the past thirty years, there has been way too much indiscriminate development. Many ugly buildings were built and a good part of them were built in areas that were meant to remain in their natural state. The result is an overexploited island where very few green areas remain. As a kid, I used to go out and play soccer with my friends in the fields nearby. This was commonplace wherever you lived in Malta. Nowadays there is no chance that kids would be able to do that.
A Times of Malta showing illustrating over development in Sliema and St. Julian’s.
Everything’s been built up, and as I said, it’s been one huge land rush with developers making big money while they exploited every inch of the island. Of course, this constant development has also brought with it a lot of air and noise pollution, apart from visual eyesores. We are now seeing an increasingly high rate of respiratory diseases, and frequent complaints about noise due to construction. Gozo, the other island, is currently at a very nice balance between nature and man-made buildings, but I’m afraid that the developers will turn their greedy eyes there next.
Over exploitation (umbrella rentals) of one Malta’s iconic spots – Blue Lagoon
How about the famous Smart City? Rather than attracting all the big IT companies and making Malta another silicon valley, as was originally promised, it’s been sitting there mostly empty. Moreover, it seems likely that it will soon be turned into another luxury apartment complex. This land had been given to the Smart City developers on the condition that it will be used for ICT purposes, but it seems that the new fashion is to completely disregard such contracts. Real estate agents are already selling apartments on plan even though it is still technically an IT office center and there are absolutely no building plans in place to turn it into an apartment complex. Something similar happened just last year with the former ITS complex in Pembroke. Such free-for-all practices are very common when it comes to building and development.
It’s not only big developers who are the problem though. Many individuals have also constructed illegally while the authorities have turned a blind eye. There is a whole village of illegal properties in Armier bay, and no political party has done anything to remove them over many years.
Armier bay illegal construction.
To make matters worse, much of the remaining countryside is taken up by hunters who occupy whole swaths of land. Yes, in Malta bird hunting is a very popular pastime, and incredibly just a few years ago a referendum to ban this barbaric practice in spring failed to get a majority backing. Any walk in the countryside is sure to be accompanied by the sounds of guns as the hunters try their best to blast every bird out of the sky.
A protected bird illegally shot down in Malta.
No wonder you will hardly see any birds in Malta. Illegal hunting is a widespread and serious problem, with poachers specifically targeting raptors (birds of prey) and Herons as well as rare migratory birds such as the Greater Flamingo, Black Stork and Eurasian Spoonbill, among others. Moreover, as I mentioned, hunters occupy a lot of public lands and block off access to hikers, mountain bikers and the regular folk who are out to enjoy a bit of countryside.
In line with the selfish nature so prevalent in Malta (a so-called Catholic country), we find the issue of smoking. Smoking was banned in enclosed public places and workplaces in Malta on July 1, 2004, with the implementation of the “Protection of Non-Smokers Health Regulations.” This ban was extended to include bars and restaurants in 2005, and in 2018, Malta introduced a comprehensive smoking ban that prohibited smoking in all public places, including outdoor areas like beaches and parks. The ban also prohibited smoking in private vehicles when children under the age of 18 are present. The implementation of the smoking ban in Malta has been enforced in restaurants and offices, which arguably already had arrangements for smokers before the ban, but it is a miserable failure when it comes to clubs and many bars. If you don’t believe me, go have a look for yourself, pick any club and you will most likely see the bouncers, DJ and other people in management smoking, so it is little wonder that patrons also feel at liberty to smoke. The ban in outdoor areas is another complete joke, again just visit any park and beach and see for yourself. As a health-conscious non-smoker, I find this to be another prime example of the selfishness and short-term thinking of the Maltese.
Sometimes people will challenge me by posing the question: “If Malta is so bad, why do so many foreigners fall in love with Malta and want to live here?”. I think that’s a very interesting question that merits delving into.
First of all, Malta is a very very unique place, for many reasons. It has a rich and varied history having been under the rule of several nations and cultures. Its size and geography is also unique, as is the fact that Maltese people have their own language. I can definitely see how these exotic qualities can be such a strong attraction for foreigners.
They would have never have experienced such an environment before, especially if they come from a big city/country where things are much more impersonal. Landing in Malta you tend to feel very welcome as people are very friendly and ready to help out, it feels like everybody treats you like family. This leads to foreigners saying hey, this is an awesome place to live in. Back home I’m just a number and nobody cares about anyone, but here everybody is so involved in each other’s lives, this is something special! I totally see why a foreigner would feel like this. I myself sometimes wish I were a foreigner so I could feel that way. If you don’t speak Maltese there is a better chance of insulating yourself from the daily gossip and mannerisms that end up getting on one’s nerves.
Here’s the thing though. While I acknowledge that some foreigners do move to Malta, love it and enjoy living there for many years, many others try the experience and leave after 3-4 years because they just can’t take the way things are done there. It’s one thing living a life of work-beach-party (Malta is the best place for that) and quite another when you decide to settle down, start dealing with the authorities, buy a house and try to get contractors to deliver quality work, etc etc.
People who are used to not having to struggle to get simple things done will start to get pissed off at how much time they’re spending dealing with seemingly innocuous tasks, and eventually end up leaving the island. Of course, the passage of time also amplifies the feeling of living in a very small place that acts like an echo chamber and innovation is stifled by the local way of life and culture, and that can also lead to one deciding to leave and live in a more open environment.
I guess I’ve written more than I meant to, the reality is that I really struggle to put my feelings into words, and that is why I don’t frequently share my thoughts on the subject. I prefer to focus on the positive things I have in my life rather than acting all pessimistic. My feelings about Malta at the end of the day are genuine sadness for what was once really an idyllic place that has been destroyed over the years. I would love to say that I hope to one day return, but I really can’t see how the culture can change and the harm due to construction undone.
P.S. While in this post I focused on the negative things about Malta that led me to leave, there is, of course, the flip side. There are many great things about Malta, and I do still think that it is a very good place for digital nomads to spend some time in.
2019 Update
It’s been more than two years since I wrote this post, and I’ve interacted with many people about the subject both in the comments section as well as over email exchanges. Unfortunately, not only has the situation in Malta not become any better since I wrote this, but things took a nasty turn for the worse.
The obvious big news item was the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2018, followed by several scandals in the political scene. During the last few months of 2019 we’ve seen Malta in the worldwide news for all the wrong reasons, with several top members of the governing party being forced to resign due to their misdeeds and connections to the murder.
As we close off the year, prime minister Joseph Muscat has been named ‘Person of the Year’ for organised crime and corruption by a consortium of investigative journalists.
It was a busy 12 months in the world of organized crime and corruption. But without further ado, here is our 2019 Person of the Year: https://t.co/oDVXs9EZYI#occrpaward #CorruptActor2019
— Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (@OCCRP) December 27, 2019
Dr Muscat joins a list of previous winners of the OCCPR’s yearly prize that includes strongmen such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijan’s Ilhan Aliyev, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte.
“Under Muscat’s leadership, criminality and corruption have flourished — and in many cases gone unpunished,” the OCCPR said.
The organisation highlighted the way Dr Muscat had acted throughout the investigation into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
I had intentionally avoided politicising things with my original post, as I don’t consider myself a supporter of a particular party in Malta, but things have really gone to new extremes with the Labour party in government led by Dr Muscat in recent years.
Not only have things become worse in Malta, but the country’s reputation overseas is at an all-time low due to this government’s shenanigans.
What is quite impressive to me is that the Maltese population by and large has been quite passive during this whole debacle. Not to mention that probably around half of the population still doesn’t think that anything irregular has taken place in the past few years, as you can witness if you open any article on local newspapers reporting cases of corruption. The kind of brainwashing on display is at least on par with what you would expect from people in communist countries with no access to outside information. To see people defending the prime minister and his cronies while hurling abuse at any detractors, Maltese or foreign, is just sad.
One would hope that the Maltese will choose better people in leadership, independently of which party they’re from, and avoid further damage to the country. It’s worth keeping in mind that right now, the Maltese economy seems to be doing very well, however I am of the opinion that this boom has not been very organic nor is it built on solid ground.
If we take an honest look at the last 15 years of growth in the Maltese economy, we would find that the big driver has been an artificially favorable tax system designed to attract foreign companies to relocate their business in Malta and thus gain huge tax benefits. That drove an influx of foreigners needed to staff the relocated companies (most of them online gaming companies), which in turn drove up property prices and helped build an impressive financial industry to service these aforementioned companies. If one of these pillars were to be affected by the scandals rocking the political scene, all the pieces will fall like dominoes causing a serious crisis in Malta.
Taking the Decision
Over the years since I’ve written this post, I’ve received many emails from (mostly young) people who identify with my feelings and are struggling with taking the decision.
I want to make it clear that while we live in an era where travel is very easy and affordable, uprooting yourself and moving to another country is still a significant psychological and logistical challenge for most people.
Here’s a copy of an email reply I sent to a person who reached out to ask for advice on how to approach the decision. I hope it can be of help to others in the same stage of their lives.
Every person who decides to leave their home country will have the fears and worries that you mention, that is perfectly normal.I had the same concerns myself when I was in the same situation. What I did was to sit down in a quiet place for an hour or so, take a pen and two sheets of paper. On one list the pros and the other the cons about moving. Take your time and let your heart and mind both outpour onto those two pages. When you’re done, you should have a clearer picture of what you should do. If it’s still not clear, assign a rating of 1-5 or 1-10 next to each point that you list, with 1 being of least importance and 10 being essential for you. Then add the scores up and hopefully one should be significantly higher than the other.Know that you can’t control what you’ll find on the other side, but you owe it to yourself to at least seek a betterment of your situation if that’s what you need to do.I have yet to come across anyone who regretted leaving a negative environment that bothered them (job, country, etc) but I have met plenty of older people who have significant regrets about not taking a chance on a better future when they were younger.
Further Reading
- Bloomberg – Why the EU is furious with Malta – covers problems that I mentioned in the post and other big issues that surfaced in the past year since I’ve written this post.
- Only in Malta – Facebook group showcasing daily unbelievable occurrences in Malta
- Malta New Reality – More shenanigans in Malta
- The Shift – Daily updates on scandals and corruption in Malta
- 70% of Malta’s young people wish to leave.
Very good article, I totally agree with all you said.
Funny that you mention how difficult it is to get away from idiots in a small country, my take goes in another direction, bigger countries harbor much bigger idiots where the biggest idiot is the president of the country, and I think you know who it is. Believe it is impossible to get away from that kind, no matter the size or category of a country, basically they rule the world.
Good point, however, I’m honestly more bothered by the everyday idiots than whoever is in government. It’s not like Malta had excellent leaders in the past few years either.
I am living in this country since 3 years. I came because of job and specialized myself. I appreciated the lifestilye here, I never feel to stressed but infractructures are from 1800 🙂
I am so happy we have this Maltese friend tell to everyone the true. To just understand the crazyness of what here is happening compare the cost of Sliema with one of the most famous city in the world, Madrid:
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Malta&country2=Spain&city1=Sliema&city2=Madrid&tracking=getDispatchComparison
It boggles my mind how the cost of living in Malta is higher than that of Madrid or Barcelona while the quality of life is significantly lower in my opinion. It also means that Malta is probably a bubble stage already, especially with regard to property prices.
The current problems in Malta are the lack of enforcement where thereare a 1000 laws which nobody cares about so far the cat is away; overcrowdedness, air pollution, formation of ‘dangerous districts’ due to foreigners of certain unmixed cultures (Marsa, Bugibba). Then the traffic is terrible, now they are destroying acres of agricultural areas to widen the roads, Moreover, the prices are going so high. for example 6 years ago a pizza was averagely 6 Euro and a soft drink 1 Euro, now this is 9 Eur and 1.80 respectively. Prices of pasta almost the same price as chicken dishes.
Summers are becoming too hot as well, and it is literally impossible to go somewhere and be alone or in silence. Beautiful beaches are advertised everywhere, but they take the pics in Winter, because in Summer (Apr to November) they are packed with people and deckchairs that you can’t make out if it is a sandy or rocky beach. And the deckchairs are 10-12 Eur per person, so for a family of four, it is 40-50 Eur for just going to the PUBLIC beach. This is Malta right now business and money making hub with its native culture and charm being eroded by the hour taken place by egoisim and materialistic culture. It is not the same paradise of 20 years ago,
Agreed, 100%
I’m from the Isle of Wight and we share a lot of the same problems,from councils that just want to build on the beautiful countryside, low wages ,high cost of housing, lack of services ,maybe it’s an island thing
loved your article. I have lived in Australia ffor many years but visited Malta many times. I do get very frustrated with certain things that in Australia do
not exist.
Thank you for your honest article Jean, it must be sad for you to feel this way.
I am from the Netherlands and I lived in Malta for three years. I am so happy I don’t anymore.
To all the lovely people I met (a lot) on your amazing island (what a history and what beautiful places): I am sorry I feel this way, but in general….
I’ve not lived in a country where so many people don’t seem to give a sh*t about anything but their own interest.
Nor have I ever experienced such a black or white mentality, nuanced opinions are hard to find ,many times the case in two-party societies.
That is… if people even take the time to listen. It is almost impossible to finish half a sentence before being interrupted. (such a true quote from a world leader: “I’ve never learned anything whilst talking”)
The corruption is beyond believe. I know shop owner with a bar for some extra income. He opened his establishment for a political rally ‘for free’. The week after he was the proud owner of a load/unload parking place in front of his shop. And proud of his achievement. I could give tens of examples of that kind of practise, from disappeared fines to building licenses.
The worst of all I guess is the sole focus on growing the economy without thinking of the effects on social coherence, environment, city or landscape planning, and what have you.
Give everything to a few greedy parties, and in the process most will loose everything worthwhile. And in the meanwhile it seems the party goes on, for as long as it lasts
So sad
Thanks for your comments and for understand where I’m coming from Joost, it is indeed sad to have to write such an article and even sadder to see so many other share the same feelings, confirming that my perception was not unique and that things are not getting any better.
Everyone slates things that they are leaving . Everything is bad on the way out. I am English and lived there for 40 years. I hope you continue to enjoy the contrast- as that is what you are enjoying- of course real gripes exist against our native UK for those that know the place.. Malta is not that bad, They are getting as much right as they are getting wrong, People are still warm and the sun continues to shine. Good luck to you..
It would be nice to see an article “Good things about Malta”. Otherwise it’s too biased. There are always two sides to a coin, and mentioning only the bad is downright unfair to the country and its people. You have all the right to be honest and share your views, but please have some love towards the country that shaped you (for good or bad) and offer positive things….otherwise you are harming the tourism of the country unfairly.
Please be responsible.
– A fellow Maltese
Thanks for sharing your opinion. There are plenty of articles singing the praises of Malta, and the Malta Tourism Authority does a good enough job of advertising the positive sides of Malta all over the world.
This is my personal blog where I note down my thoughts, and in this particular post, given that I am talking about my decision to move away from this country, it is just natural that several negative things are mentioned. Those bad things about Malta (and in fact quite a few others I could have mentioned) are what drove me to take the serious and difficult decision of leaving the place where I was born and raised.
Your timing could also have been better, as right now Maltese politicians are single-handedly destroying Malta’s reputation without needing any help from anyone.
I’m a native of Edinburgh and have been offered a tech job in iGaming in Malta. I’m now starting to wonder if I should turn it down. Perhaps the grass is not greener in Malta. Perhaps i should be thankful for Edinburgh. I love to walk and cycle. Doesn’t sound like I’d be walking or cycling much in Malta.
I’ve been to Edinburgh and it’s massively different from Malta, the two can’t really be compared. You should definitely spend some time in Malta before deciding to move, if at all possible.
Thanks for your honest account Jean.
Sad, but true.
I can’t say I disagree with anything written here. I’m an expat who has been in Malta only 2 1/2 years and already want to leave for all of the above reasons and others.
I have met some lovely Maltese people, but sadly they are hugely out-numbered by the selfish and ignorant majority who have almost completely destroyed the precious little beauty this island had with their greed and stupidity.
Looking forward to moving somewhere else!
I don’t think I am old enough to know the “idyllic” part but I feel your pains. I want to get out of this country myself. However I might have some legal issues if I do.
I agree on everything you just mentioned, I miss real seasons, and having a house that is actually comfortable all year long: i’ve been almost naked in the summer and wearing everything I owned in the winter!
I miss trees, and walking!! The most difficult is making friends…so I feel very isolated, most Maltese had their friends since kindergarden so the groups are very tight and close.
We came here for my partner’s work, it makes me sad to say I look forward to moving…
Yes temperatures inside Malta’s housing are one of the downsides that will affect anyone used to central heating. I can put up with the extra heat in summer but winters used to be just unbearable for me.
Jean, you are right, 100% accurate description of Malta’s current situation today. The nation continues to struggle and catch up to the 21st century, and in some cases even 20th century standards of the EU and other developed nations. I think most of the nation’s problems stem from 2 major issues – lack of public education and lack of law enforcement. There is no native tradition of doing things properly by the book, nor of innovation or invention. Its more a culture of exploitation and maybe ‘get it done tomorrow’, if at all. Its currently in an economic boom cycle, but how long can it last? Through out history, Malta has only been a pit-stop or an outpost in the Mediterranean. It desperately needs proper city planners, engineers, solid infrastructure, EU regulations and enforcement of the law (for high crimes and petty).
If youre living abroad trying to access local maltese content, heres a little hack on how to do so 🙂 https://www.purevpn.com/dedicated-ip/malta-ip
Hi I’ve just read your interesting oist I have a question, my brother and his family have been living in Malta for 4 months now and are battling with what to them feels like blatant Matese hate for foreigners. Annoying things like not even being acknowledged when introduced to a Maltese or even a simple handshake or worse being told to go back to your own country, their young child at school is being called names and sits alone in class and hasn’t been able to make any friends. I told him that maybe it’s a cultural thing? Not shaking hands etc but after reading some other posts on Google it seems Maltese people are actually very racist toward foreigners and quite frankly hate them. I thought since you were so honest you might be able to Shen some light on this matter and perhaps give some advise on how they can embrace living in Malta and enjoy life their?
Hi Joe,
Sorry to hear about your brother’s experience in Malta. I left Malta several years ago so I am hesitant to comment on current situations such as the one you describe. All I can tell you is that up to the point when I left I definitely wouldn’t say that there was any hate against foreigners.
If anything, I thought that there was a certain deference towards foreigners especially in the workplace, and an eagerness to connect since Malta is an island and foreigners in many ways are people’s most real connection with the rest of the world.
Having said that, I am aware that in recent years some Maltese have started to feel that too many foreigners are moving to Malta from other parts of Europe, driving up prices and worsening the pre-existent problems of traffic congestion, overloaded healthcare centers etc. On the occasions when I have visited Malta in recent years, I can’t say I noticed any outright racism towards these foreigners. What you describe is pretty extreme and does not align with my experience in Malta, so the only thing I could suggest is to respectfully suggest that your brother review these situations and see if there’s anything he can do on his end to facilitate things. For example, during general introductions to Maltese, he can be the one to offer the handshake and a smile. In these social situations I have found that Maltese are very reserved in comparison to other Southern European countries like Italy and Spain, but it’s not because they have anything against foreigners.
‘If anything, I thought that there was a certain deference towards foreigners especially in the workplace, and an eagerness to connect since Malta is an island and foreigners in many ways are people’s most real connection with the rest of the world.’
Hi Jean,
Not sure whether this even interests you anymore at all. I just post this link because it – somehow and in some ways – fits into your description.
https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/european-parliament-to-send-urgent-mission-to-malta-next-week.753226
There is a small ‘revolution’ developing in Malta in recent days and right now and the linked article is just the – current – top of these developments.
I’ve been reading Maltese history for a considerable time by now and am still about to read further. This article shows some contrast to the past and one wonders whether some politicians in Malta were knowing what sort of step they have taken in calling the EU in for helping to sort out the current political crisis in Malta which is a domestic one.
I have also read the comments on this thread written by some others since I took part in it months ago and though I am not to criticise your article in any way as it is more an account of your own experiences as a native Maltese who lived there, it is some ‘bitter’ reality that recent developments do more than just prove your point.
It’s entirely up to you whether you publish this comment on this article as it wasn’t meant to be by my own Intention. I just thought that it fits into what you’ve written about Malta and I can assure you that no part of your above article has been forgotten by myself as its content is still alive in my mind as a warning.
Strongly agree with your article. Coming from a 26 year old, thus born in the 90’s, the change this small island has undergone in such a short period of time os astonishing. Negative change that is. Very happy for you and hopefully someday ill have the courage to do the same.
May I ask to where you have emigrated ?
Sure, I’ve lived in several countries and cities since I left, among them Thailand, Mexico and Spain.
Very interesting and informative article, thank you. I think the same as you are and you are 100% right about the life here, in Malta. It is not a
“paradise island” anymore and potty, that things getting worst, and not better.
great article.. i have been researching visiting Malta, but there was just something about it that i wasn’t liking.. the history, beauty and the people seemed very interesting, but pictures of densely packed high rises, stories of pick pockets (not Maltese) and over crowded locations took away from the good.. the hunters definitely were not something I thought or knew about, and that would totally spoil my desire to hike.. also i don’t agree ethically with the rise of gambling.. with the Maltese government selling out to online casinos, I think i’ll sadly take a pass..
I share each and every point you described here. Been living here for 5.5 years now and I can not wait to leave for a greener, cleaner, mentally open place. I am tired of depend on a car to take my daughter anywhere. I am tired to be forced to walk looking at the pavement to skip holes, uneven pavement and dog shit. I am tired of the constant drilling of building sites and to hear birds chirping from a shoe-box sized cage. What keeps me here? My job, which I hope will soon give us the reason to look elsewhere. I tired to adapt to insane way of living.
Thank you for your review!
Although we just moved to Gozo after my partner retired, I do very well understand what you mean! We’ve already experienced some of the things you mentioned and we did not like it either! We did have the intention of living here as long as possible but we’re not sure anymore….. (and luckily we are in the position that we can move whenever we want) …isnt that a shame??
I can relate to every point after so many years in Malta. I find it very hard to further close my eyes for all the disasters here
Thank you for your candid article about Malta. It was invaluable to me, and your honesty does not frighten me….and chances are I still may go visit there for a personal vantage point, but then thanks again for the tip on the initial welcome.
Take care, I hope you are happy living where you are located. Best of everything.
Chaz Bethas
You have reflected my thoughts and feelings to the letter!! My only regret is that I am now 52 years old and it wouldn’t be easy for me to move abroad and find employment. If only I could!!!!
I was once proud to be Maltese. Now we are just a rock and a business hub. We became a concrete jungle, and it is also becoming impossible to live here.
This year, 15 clients left malta for good, some of them have been in malta for 9-15 years. The greed destroyed everything that this island had to offer. The rich became richer and the poor became poorer. Rents in sliema for a decent 1 bedroom flat is 3000 per month and you can see your neighbour showering with the buildings being so close. A house with a pool in Spain costs 700eur.
Igaming people were moving to malta because 1. It was cheap to rent and live 2. It was safe. 3. Because it’s a party island and booze is cheap. 4. Weather 5. Peaceful 6. If you are a stranger with kids it is the safest place to raise a family. 7. Schools are good. They have nothing tying them to this island. As soon as their conditions aren’t right they pack and move away and we will face a total disaster. What will happen to all the property? The same thing that happened 15 years ago 70% of the houses were vacant but no one wanted to spend money since recession had almost hit us.
There are laws and no one enforcing them. What about drinking and driving? And the funny thing is that even foreign people residing in malta started doing the Maltese way! It’s so easy to conduct a breathiliser with just a couple of mainroads going north or south. But again the driver will have someone that knows someone who can fix the fine. Anything can be bought in malta even citizenship if you have enough money, that includes lawyers, jurors, magistrates, areas that werent meant to be developed.
How about anything that has to do with sex?? Sex is still a taboo, most men still believe that women belong in the kitchen, that a woman should never talk about sex unless we are discussing babies. Girls are never taught properly about their anatomy and that sex can be pleasure, all girls have to find out on their own that we get orgasms too!!! We live in a place were we have stress about buying condoms, preganacy tests, morning afterpill.. Why??? Because of the close minded people that think that taking a morning after pill is killing a baby and that the woman shouldn’t have opened her legs in the first place.. What about the guy pulling out at the right time? Boys and men still face the same shaming but its mostly because having sex is considered “bad”
People skipping the que which drives me mental. People parked in the middle of the street and just because their hazard lights are on it makes it ok.. The list goes on and on. The last thing is fire works!!! Ffs 4 months of boom and bang! And don’t tell me it’s tradition, because so is female circumcision in some countries but that doesn’t make it right doesn’t it?
I hope we can save some of malta!
Agreed on all points, thanks Terry.
Finally some speaking realistically . As soon as I turned 18 I left Malta to Sweden and never doubted it for a second.
I stayed in Malta in 2013, for my language education. I came there from Turkey and you know what, at that time, I tought myself “if they don’t stop these huge buildings, it will turn in to another cities which were famous in the past but just ordinary and ugly in the future.” The first image shows us alot. We are living in different countrys and citiys but I understand exaitly what you are trying to say. I left my home town “Kuşadası (kusadasi)” and moved to İstanbul for university. After 10 years later, I decided to return but realised that everyting has chanced permanently. The city that I used to know was vanished. Huge buildings, unplanned roads, dirty streets, houses, cheap houses everywhere and designed by building contractors whose idea were just quick money and easy effort. ‘Quick money easy effort’ this idea brings more contractor to Kusadasi and I think you can guess what happened next.
Anyway, nice article. Thank you for sharing.
I am also thinking of leaving this place. I am so fed up with this Maltese mentality.
Thinking of moving to the UK too, hoping for a better and happier life
Being a foreigner living here for four years I agree with many of the things you said. I’m moving to Gozo for a while, but eventually I will probably also leave Malta. Which is unfortunate as it has such great potential.
Perfect your thoughts and comments, thanks a lot and good luck!!!
Thanks for this review.
I can express my similar feelings to the same point.
Exactly: Malta is unique with a lot of culture and education but overcrowded with reckless drivers a lot egoistic and incompetent people when it comes to sales.
Nevertheless they seem to be open-minded to other cultures but greedy on generosity: food offers.
Especially middle aged Women seem mostly frustrated while everybody is honestly hard working for his/her fortune and nothing is for free or a bonus because of a greedy closed into themselves culture.
They make you feel the dust under your nails could cost at least 50 cent extra.