Emigration from Malta
Emigration from Malta or the Maltese diaspora consists of
.History
Nineteenth century
Mass emigration picked up in the 19th century. Migration was initially to north African countries (particularly Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt); later Maltese migrants headed towards the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia. There only traces left of the Maltese communities in north Africa, most of them having been displaced, after the rise of independence movements, to places like Marseille, the United Kingdom or Australia.
Malta has always been a maritime nation, and for centuries, there has been extensive interaction between Maltese sailors and fishermen and their counterparts around the Mediterranean and into the Atlantic Ocean. More significantly, by the mid-19th century the Maltese already had a long history of migration to various places, including Egypt, Tripolitania, Tunisia, Algeria, Cyprus, the Ionian Islands, Greece, Sicily and Lampedusa. Intermarriage with other nationals (especially Italians and Sicilians) was not uncommon. Migrants would periodically return to Malta, bringing with them new customs and traditions that over time have been absorbed into mainstream Maltese culture.
In 1842, the total number of Maltese emigrants was estimated at around 20,000, or 15 percent of the population of Malta. These numbers increased steadily throughout the 19th century. However, these early migration patterns were unstable, and repatriation occurred frequently. For example, many Maltese emigrants rushed back to their homeland due to an outbreak of plague in Egypt in 1835, and again in 1840 during the Anglo-Egyptian crisis (see: London Straits Convention).[1] According to Cassar Pullicino:
in spite of a certain amount of isolation there must have been a measure of adaptation by Maltese emigrants to local customs, food and dress. Besides, the frequent comings and goings of the Maltese in the 19th century must have facilitated the assimilation of at least some folklore material from North Africa that still needs to be identified.[2]
In the nineteenth century, most migration from Malta was to North Africa and the Middle East (particularly Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt), although rates of return migration to Malta were high.[3] Nonetheless, Maltese communities formed in these regions. By 1900, for example, British consular estimates suggest that there were 15,326 Maltese in Tunisia.[4] There is little trace left of the Maltese communities in North Africa, most of them having been displaced, after the rise of independence movements, to places like Marseille, the United Kingdom or Australia. In the years preceding Tunisia's declaration of independence in 1956, most of the Maltese community left the country to settle in Marseille, France, which retains the biggest Maltese community in France.
NUMBER OF MALTESE EMIGRANTS IN N. AFRICA[5] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Country | Year – 1842 | Year – 1865 | Year – 1880s |
Algeria ( Bône )
|
5,000 | 10,000 | 15,000 |
Tunisia (Tunis) | 3,000 | 7,000 | 11,000 |
Egypt | 2,000 | 5,000 | 7,000 |
Twentieth century
Malta experienced significant emigration as a result of the collapse of a construction boom in 1907 and after World War II, when the birth rate increased significantly, but in the twentieth century most emigrants went to destinations in the New World, particularly the United States and Australia.
There was heavy migration from Malta in the early 20th century, and again after World War II until the early 1980s; however the destinations of choice during this period tended to be more distant, English-speaking countries rather than the traditional, Mediterranean
From 1919 to the 1920s, British colonial authorities in Malta spoke favourably about Maltese emigration to Palestine, specifically to Haifa, Jerusalem and the area around Mount Carmel. These efforts were supported by Governor of Malta Lord Methuen, Admiral Somerset Gough-Calthorpe and English Catholic Archbishop Francis Bourne, but the idea was ultimately unsuccessful as the British offered no financial incentives, support for the project in Malta was limited, and emigration to Palestine was increasingly dominated by Zionism.[8]
After
Emigration dropped dramatically after the mid-1970's and has since ceased to be a social phenomenon of significance. Familiarity with the English language assisted Maltese migrants to assimilate in the host countries, and the incidence of intermarriage with local foreigners is reputedly higher among Maltese emigrants than other ethnic communities. Extensive interaction between Maltese emigrants in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, and their relatives in Malta, has brought Maltese culture closer to the English speaking world. Many Maltese emigrants and second generation Maltese Australians, Maltese Americans and Maltese Canadians returned to their homeland in the 1990s, and recent years have seen an increase in the number of foreign expatriates moving to Malta, especially British retirees.
In 1995, a section of Toronto's Junction neighborhood was given the name "Malta Village" in recognition of the strong Maltese community that remains to this day.[10] It is believed to be the largest Maltese community in North America.
SUMMARY OF MALTESE MIGRATION PATTERNS (1946–1996)[11] | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Country | To | From | Net migration | Return % |
Australia | 86,787 | 17,847 | 68,940 | 21.56 |
Canada | 19,792 | 4,798 | 14,997 | 24.24 |
UK | 31,489 | 12,659 | 18,830 | 40.20 |
U.S.A. | 11,601 | 2,580 | 9,021 | 22.24 |
Other | 1,647 | 907 | 740 | 55.07 |
Total | 155,060 | 39,087 | 115,973 | 25.21 |
Twenty-first century
46,998 Maltese-born residents were recorded by the 2001
Since Malta joined the
Following the Convention for Maltese Living Abroad in 2010, the Federation of Maltese Living Abroad (FMLA) was formally established, with representatives from various countries. In 2011, the Council for Maltese Living Abroad was set up. The Council for Maltese Living Abroad is made up of representatives of Maltese communities as well as experts in the field of migration and it was set up with the approval of the House of Representatives. The council is represented by 5 experts from Australia, Canada, UK, Europe and Malta and council members from Australia, USA, Canada, Europe and Malta. The council will also strive to set up a Maltese Cultural Institute.
Maltese diaspora communities
Australia
According to the
The first Maltese to arrive in Australia was possibly
259 Maltese boys and 51 Maltese girls were sent alone to Catholic institutions in Western and South Australia between 1950 and 1965, following negotiations between the Maltese and Western Australian governments which had started in 1928 when Perth-based Maltese priest Father Raphael Pace urged the Christian Brothers to include Maltese children in its emerging migration scheme. Instead of receiving an education, many of them were exploited for building works, and were never scholarised in English, while also forgetting their own Maltese language.[20]
Belgium
Before 2003, the Maltese in Belgium were mostly people married to Belgians who had emigrated to the country or Maltese diplomats. In 2003 the employment of Maltese nationals with the European Union (EU) started in earnest in view of Malta's membership of the organisation.
Most of the Maltese are in Belgium because of their employment with the EU. It is in fact estimated that of the 324 Maltese employed with the EU in 2010,
Brazil
The first Maltese colony arrived in Brazil in 1912 on board the SS Province, that landed in the port city of Santos with 73 persons. Another 106 arrived later the same year. All started working in the coffee plantations in São Paulo and in Fortaleza. As holders of British passports, they were considered by the Brazilian authorities as any other British subject. Many of them later returned to Malta. A second group of Maltese emigrants moved to Brazil in the 1920s, to work on the railroads; among them was Dominic Collier from Floriana, who held an administrative position in the São Paulo-Paraná railway company. The third phase of Maltese immigration to Brazil, in the 1950s and 1960s, had a different, religious rather than economic, motivation. The Franciscan Order of Malta had been asked by the State of Paraná to send priests and sisters to the growing
Canada
The Maltese emigration to Canada of significant manner occurred in 1840, followed by periods of emigration around 1907 and between 1918 and 1920. However, most Maltese emigrants settled in Canada after World War II. Most these immigrants settled in Ontario, mainly Toronto, but over time other Maltese immigrants moved to other Canadian cities including Montreal, Vancouver, and St. John's. Approximately 18,000 Maltese people emigrated to Canada between 1946 and 1981, but emigration slowly reduced over time. In 2006 only 145 people of Maltese origin settled in the country.[24] According to the
Egypt
Some Maltese had been present in Egypt as early as the era of
Gibraltar
A
Greece
A large community of descendants of Maltese is still present in
Italy
The town of Pachino, in the south of Sicily, was developed based on a royal decree of Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies of 1760. Prince Ferdinand invited the Maltese neighbors to populate the new country and more than thirty families accepted the invitation. The first families were: Agius, Azzoppardi, Arafam, Buhagiar, Bartolo, Caldies, Bonelli, Camensuli, Borg, Cassar Scalia, Boager, Fenech, Farruggia, Grech, Mizzi, Meilach, Micalef, Mallia, Ongres, Saliba, Sultan, and Xuereb.
Between 2008 and 2019 134 Maltese have acquired Italian citizenship [29]
Libya
A community of Maltese in Libya was established in the 19th century. They remained in the country throughout the 20th century, as they were not subject to expulsion by the Qaddafi regime in the 1970s.
Maltese families still live in Tripoli to this day like The family of Abuhajr, the Faruja family, the Zmayt family and the Bazina family.
New Zealand
The first recorded Maltese migrant to New Zealand was Angelo Parigi, who is listed at St Patrick's Church in Auckland as having married 16-year-old RoseAnne McMullen on 4 July 1849. He was described as "a boatman born in Malta". Others followed including a James Cassar for whom some letters remained unclaimed at the Auckland Post Office in 1864. In 1883, Francesco Saverio de Cesare, who was tasked by the Government in Malta to assess the "suitability of the British Colonies in Australia as a field for Maltese Migration", reported that: "At Auckland I met three Maltese, there settled for several years, and at Tauranga another one, employed as a cook; they are doing well; and have no idea of returning to Malta. They told me there are some other Maltese, whom they know, settled in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin." The Maltese Association of Wellington was founded in 1989, with Carmen Dalli as president. The latest census puts the number of Maltese residents in New Zealand at 222.[31]
South Africa
The Maltese started to emigrate to South Africa right after the
Tunisia
Tunisia was one of the early destinations of mass migration from Malta and here Cassola delves into its beginnings (1836-1844). Not surprisingly, Maltese migrants preferred settling in the coastal towns: Sousse, Monastir, Mahdia, Sfax, Djerba and Moknine, finding solace in the same sea which washed the shores of their homeland.
In the early decades of British rule, the economic situation was not prosperous, forcing thousands of Maltese to seek a better life across the sea. The difference between migration to Sicily and to Tunisia is that the former attracted individuals whereas the latter took in whole groups. Tunisia offered opportunities for the lower classes.
United Kingdom
Prior to the passage of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act of 1962, there were few restrictions on Maltese migration to the UK. Malta had experienced significant emigration, particularly as a result of the collapse of a construction boom in 1907 and after World War II, when the birth rate increased significantly. Prior to World War I, though, there were very few Maltese in the UK, except for a community in Cardiff. The UK was seen as a distant and cold country by most Maltese.[4] Between 1919 and 1929, 3,354 Maltese were recorded as sailing to the UK, with 1,445 of these returning in later years. The remainder did not necessarily all stay in the UK, however, with many subsequently moving on to Australia. Nonetheless, by 1932, a street adjoining Commercial Road in London was home to a Maltese community. Many of these Maltese people worked in London's docks. Similar communities existed around the docks in Chatham and Portsmouth.[4] After 1962, Maltese people required vouchers to migrate to the UK, but these were relatively easy to obtain from the Emigration Department until 1971. The Emigration Department would arrange for prospective migrants to be interviewed by British firms in order to allow their passage to the UK to fill
United States
The first immigrants from
The majority of Maltese immigrants arrived in the first half of the twentieth century, settling in cities like Detroit, New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago. The majority of Americans of Maltese descent now live in these cities, particularly Detroit (approximately 44,000 Maltese) and New York City (more than 20,000 Maltese), in the latter city, most of the people of Maltese origin are concentrated in Astoria, Queens.[35]
In California, a Maltese community thrives in
The 2016 American Community Survey estimated 40,820 Americans of Maltese ancestry.[36] Of these, 24,202 have Maltese as their first ancestry.[37] This includes Maltese born immigrants to the United States, their American born descendants as well as numerous immigrants from other nations of Maltese origin.
As in their country of origin, Maltese Americans predominantly practice
See also
- Demographics of Malta
- Immigration to Malta
- List of countries by immigrant population
- List of sovereign states and dependent territories by fertility rate
References
- ^ Mgr. Philip Calleja, Statistics and History of Maltese Migration Movements, Study Session I of the Maltese Migrants' Convention (Malta), 1969.
- ^ J. Cassar Pullicino, "Determining the Semitic Element in Maltese Folklore", in Studies in Maltese Folklore, Malta University Press (1992), pp. 73–4.
- ^ JSTOR 621508.
- ^ a b c Attard, Lawrence E. (1989). The Great Exodus (1918–1939). Malta: Publishers Enterprises Group. Archived from the original on 2011-04-06. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
- ^ Source: Mgr. Philip Calleja, Statistics and History of Maltese Migration Movements, Study Session I of the Maltese Migrants' Convention (Malta), 1969.
- ^ "Multicultural Canada". Multiculturalcanada.ca. 28 September 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ "The 1996 CIA World Factbook page on Malta". Umsl.edu. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ "The Mediterranean and beyond". MaltaMigration.com. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022.
- JSTOR 20001477.
- ^ "Columnists - Opinion - Toronto Sun". Torontosun.com. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ "Emigration Statistics". Maltamigration.com. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Archived from the originalon 17 June 2009. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
- ^ "2006 Census: 20680-Country of Birth of Person (full classification list) by Sex - Australia". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (XLS download) on 2013-09-08. Retrieved 27 May 2008.
Total count of persons: 19,855,288.
- ^ "Maltese Australians". Australian Government Department of Immigration. Archived from the original on 2008-08-01. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
- ^ Bovingdon, Rigu (1985). "Il-Lingwa Maltija go l-Awstralja" (PDF). Il-Malti. 3 (7): 12–19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2019.
- ^ "1.3 Migration to Australia". Maltamigration.com. 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ^ Barry York (April 1995). "How Many Maltese in Australia?". WIRT MALTA – Maltese Cultural Association, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 1 (10). Aboutmalta.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2009.
- ^ Ivan Magri-Overend (2001). "Present Situation of Maltese of Egypt". maltamigration.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ^ Barry York (1990). "Empire and Race: The Maltese in Australia, 1881-1949". NSWU PRESS. p. iii. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01.
- ^ On their own
- ^ "Twegiba ghall-mistoqsija parlamentari numru 15749". www.pq.gov.mt. 2010-03-15. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
- ^ a b "Maltin fil-Belgju asbl". www.maltin.be. Archived from the original on 2012-07-26. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
- ^ Almir da Silveira, The Maltese immigration Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Maltese - The Canadian Encyclopedia. [1]
- ^ Statistics Canada (2006). "Ethnocultural Portrait of Canada". Archived from the original on 2017-12-29. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
- ^ Cassar, George. "Welcome Note: The Embassy of Malta in Egypt".
- ^ Nicholas D Chircop OAM, [A Transient Colony in the Valley of the Nile http://www.maltamigration.com/history/nick-chircop-egypt.shtml?s=7E1A30000327-39AB Archived 2018-12-15 at the Wayback Machine]
- ^ "Malta Migration". Archived from the original on 2010-05-15. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
- ^ "Acquisition of citizenship".
- ^ Romeo Cini, Tripoli of Barbary Archived 2019-12-24 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Carmen Dalli, Maltese in New Zealand Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine, Malta Migration
- ^ "Report from the Department of Emigration for the year 1948-49". Archived from the original on 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
- ^ a b "Migration to the UK: Post-war period". Malta Emigration Museum. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
- ^ "Estimated population resident in the United Kingdom, by foreign country of birth (Table 1.3)". Office for National Statistics. September 2009. Archived from the original on 14 November 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2010. Figure given is the central estimate. See the source for 95 per cent confidence intervals.
- ^ a b c d Every Culture Page
- ^ [2] 2016 American Community Survey 1-year estimates
- ^ "Explore Census Data".
Bibliography
- French Government documents of the 1910s and 1920s on the Maltese in Tunisia and the political situation of the times Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine
- Carmel Vassallo, Corsairing to Commerce: Maltese Merchants in XVIII Century Spain Archived 2017-11-07 at the ISBN 99909-45-04-7).
- Romeo Cini, Tripoli of Barbary - La nostra storia (our story) Archived 2019-12-23 at the Wayback Machine
- Fr Lawrence E. Attard, Cyprus, Corfu, Constantinople and Smyrna Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine, in: The Great Exodus by. (C) P.E.G. Ltd - 1989.
- Mark Caruana, Maltese Surnames in France: Attard Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine
- Nicholas D Chircop OAM, A Transient Colony in the Valley of the Nile - The History of the Maltese Colony in Egypt throughout the 19th and 20th Century Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine
- Maltese Government Reports from the Emigration Department Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine, 1948-2015
- Almir da Silveira, Onboard towards Brazil - the Maltese immigration Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine
- Huw R. Jones, Modern Emigration from Malta, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, No. 60 (Nov. 1973), pp. 101–119
Further reading
- Frendo, Henry (2020). Diaspora: Maltese Overseas Settlement. ISBN 9789993277712.
External links
- Malta Migration
- The Maltese diaspora
- The Maltese diaspora, Times of Malta, 2015
- The changing face of the Maltese diaspora, Malta Independent, 2014
- Maurice Cauchi, The Maltese Diaspora: Changing Faces of Malta Abroad, 2016
- Massimo Farrugia, Maltese left their mark in countries of adoption, Times of Malta, 10 Dec 2004