People left stranded outside Identity Malta offices for hours

A couple hundred people were stuck outside the Identity Malta’s expatriates unit in Msida for many hours yesterday, as people were left in the dark as to why they were not let into the building.

This situation was a result of Identity Malta employees fearing the spread of the coronavirus and wanting more protective measures.

The offices remained closed for most of the morning, with some people telling this newsroom at 10am that they had been there since 5am. This, despite some having been told early in the day by security officials that the offices were to open as normal.

This resulted in a growing queue of people outside the offices in Valley Road, as foreigners trying to seek assistance from the agency found the doors shut. A few of the people were wearing protective masks, as were some security officials inside, which added to a sense of unease. Indeed, a main complaint of many stuck outside was the lack of information, as many did not know what was going on.

This newsroom had asked a security guard to ask management whether they were willing to meet with the press to explain what was going on, however, the security officer said that management did not, and that a press conference was to be called later.

At around 11am, the doors finally opened. Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Communities Alex Muscat addressed the press, and said that there was “clearly a misunderstanding, and as the queues grew bigger, employees were concerned due to the spread of the coronavirus.”

He explained that because of these concerns, employees decided not to open the doors of the offices. Muscat said that he spoke to employees and unions, and that Identity Malta will take more measures to ensure the safety of the employees and clients.

The Parliamentary Secretary said that proper monitoring measures are to be taken as from this week, including employing nurses to screen and check clients’ temperature before entering the Identity Malta building and security officers being present for crowd control.

Muscat said that while Identity Malta will remain open, those clients in need of Customer Care services can use online or telephone services. “Those individuals who can use the online services, or call customer care and track application online, should do so, as this will help reduce the large crowds outside Identity Malta, regardless of the coronavirus or not.” Therefore, Expat services will continue and applications for new permits will continue, he said.

Kendrick Bondin, a General Workers Union official said that it is extremely important to take care of the wellbeing of workers and clients. “We have clients coming in batches now, to ensure that there is proper crowd control, and we insisted for better security measures, as our workers need to be protected,” explained Bondin. He was informed that security will be increased. “We believe it is a good measure and a start to control the situation.”