The story of how life led me to migrate to Malta.
By Joaquín Pinto Ferrand
CEO & co-founder of Boom Studies
What led me to migrate to Malta? I have had quite a nomadic life. I was born in Lima, Peru, and when I was 8 years old, my parents, along with my whole family, decided to move to Costa Rica to look for a better quality of life, since in my country there was too much insecurity, insufficient opportunities and an economy destroyed by years of inflation and internal war.
In Latin America we have no shortage of reasons to migrate, since this scenario is repeated cyclically in various latitudes and it is very difficult to project oneself with so much uncertainty. Many people, of all ages, make difficult decisions to leave behind what they know, their support network, their family, their customs, to venture into new horizons in search of a better quality of life.
So my parents, without them or me knowing it for sure at the time, were already marking me for life that essence of eternal migrant, which made me migrate to Malta and which I carry as my main identity mark.
At the age of 17 I decided to migrate to France to pursue my higher education, which I did thanks to an academic scholarship from the French government, where I completed my bachelor's and master's degrees. I lived in a small city, Poitiers, for a couple of years and then in Paris. I also did an exchange year in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as it was always my dream to discover more of this amazing country.
So, after having spent many years away from the homeland where I was born in Costa Rica, France and Argentina, I made the decision to return to my country for a while, to reconnect and reconcile with my homeland. As an adult, I realized that the same reasons why my parents left Peru when I was a child were still latent and finally my decision to migrate to Malta became clearer.
How did my interest in migrating to Malta begin?
Beyond the countries I have lived in, I can say that I am an inveterate traveler and have visited several dozen countries, either for work or just out of curiosity. Having lived in Europe for some years, I also had the opportunity to visit many countries of the old continent, but I had never visited this little island, or even contemplated the idea of migrating to Malta.
The first time I paid attention to Malta was in 2004, when I was studying political science in France and the most important enlargement in the history of the European Union was taking place. Ten new countries were joining the bloc, countries that were "on the periphery" according to my professor of "European Issues". At that time, Eastern European countries that today have made great progress in their development objectives, such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, as well as the Baltic countries bordering Russia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, and finally two Mediterranean islands: Malta and Cyprus, joined the bloc.
All these countries at that time were considered "poor" by European standards. It is clear that EU integration achieved its goal: most of these countries are now thriving economies, with low unemployment rates and greatly improved opportunities for their local populations, as well as for migrants coming from various latitudes of the world.
The second time I became interested in Malta was in 2016, when we were planning with my ex-wife our honeymoon destination. To select the destination, we each put a couple of criteria. Mine, very important, was never having visited the place. My ex-wife wanted a place with history, I wanted an island. Finally, after eagerly studying the options, we decided on Malta.
First impressions of Malta
Our honeymoon trip consisted of a first stop in Amsterdam for a few days, then a week in Malta and finally a few extra days in Paris. The first and last cities we knew well, but Malta was the cherry on the (wedding) cake.
The Air Malta plane that brought us here landed during the day, which allowed us to observe the landscape well. We landed at the end of September, so the landscape was still quite dry due to the hot summers in which practically not a single drop of rain falls.
Observing the airport infrastructure from the air, as well as the yellowish colors of the landscape, my first impression was that of being in some North African destination. Of course, sometimes we forget that the Mediterranean is shared by southern Europe and North Africa, and that Malta is quite close to Libya and Tunisia.
Being a pleasure trip, clearly my first impressions were permeated by the immense amount of cultural and natural wonders that those who choose to migrate to Malta can appreciate on a daily basis.
We stayed in a beautiful hotel in the center of Valletta, overlooking the Benedictine dome and arrived just in time for the Notte Bianca, a cultural event where you can visit museums, shows and emblematic buildings of the island for free. For example, we went to see Shakespeare's Macbeth at the Teatru Manoel, a jewel of Maltese baroque and entered the throne room of the Knights of the Order of Malta like true locals.
Malta has an impressive heritage, including Neolithic temples, Phoenician-founded cities such as Mdina, and imposing Baroque works in Valletta and other cities, including one of Caravaggio's masterpieces, the beheading of St. John the Baptist in St. John's Co-Cathedral, the finest example of chiaroscuro I have ever seen.
In addition, we sailed off the coast of Gozo and Comino, with Mark, a Gozitan that fate made me meet at that time and with whom we have already formed a friendship and with whom I go sailing every year since I came to live in Malta. Swimming off the cliffs of Ta Cenc' in 2016 was one of the most breathtaking experiences I have ever done in my life. Whenever I want a happy memory, I close my eyes and there I am, swimming in a sea of improbable colors, in front of giant cliffs and complete, overwhelming solitude.
Thus, it was very easy for us to fall in love with this place and even contemplate the idea of migrating to Malta.
Why did I make the decision to migrate to Malta?
When we returned to Peru, something was itching in our necks, a desire that I have always had, to continue traveling and continue exploring the world, and my ex-wife decided to take the adventure and enroll in a MBA in Malta. We left everything behind, decided to sell everything we had, a life of many comforts, take our two kittens with us and set off into the unknown. (Find out how to migrate to Malta with your pets here)
This is my fourth summer already living in Malta and now I can consider myself as a "resident" with all the letters. I know the island very well, and I enjoy it every day.
One of the things that shocks me the most about living here is to see how many people complain. They complain about the transport, they complain about the prices, they complain about the racism of the Maltese, they complain about the traffic, they complain about the constructions, they complain about the salaries, they complain about the scams, they complain about the noise, in short, they complain sometimes about very specific and personal aspects such as the lack of shopping options they have on the island, among other things.
However, Malta is the country with the highest ratio of immigrants per capita in the entire European Union, almost 1 in 4 residents is a foreigner, which would be really impossible to achieve if it did not have one or more attractions that attract people's attention.
Now, about the complaints of foreigners, clearly many of them have some basis, and I sincerely believe that whatever latitude you choose to live in, you will always have something to complain about: if you are in Canada, the cold; if you are in Dubai, the heat; if you are in Ireland, the rain, in short, as they say in English. the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
Top 10 positive aspects of living in Malta:
In my case, I always try to focus on the positive aspects of the destinations that have welcomed me, so I always remember them all with great affection and I know that they have contributed a lot to who I am today. Living in Malta is no exception. I will list the main ones, but not the only ones below:
1. Security
Clearly what I like most about living in Malta is the security. Coming from a country as insecure as Peru, where I had to think twice about whether to wear a watch to go for a walk in the street or which cab to call, here it is paradise. I can walk freely through the streets, at any time I want, without being afraid of anything happening to me. Sure, there is no such thing as a zero crime country, but the country really is incredibly safe, including for women.
2. No misery
For me, the great success of a society is to eradicate misery. When you go to San Francisco, one of the cities with the highest concentration of wealth in the world, and you see so many people on the streets begging and without a roof over their heads, you really wonder what all this accumulation of capital is for.
In Malta everyone has access to a shelter and there are practically no beggars on the streets. While it is true that there are not an exorbitant number of multimillionaires, the truth is that the vast majority of the population belongs to a middle class that can have access to basic services without major complications.
3. There is employment
People who decide to migrate to Malta get jobs very quickly, in various fields. While it is true that the first jobs are almost always the least qualified, it helps you to get a work permit and stay legally on the island, accessing all social security services for you and your family, as well as being able to travel within the Schengen area whenever you want. As you build your network of contacts and improve your English, your job opportunities obviously increase. Malta is consistently one of the countries with the lowest unemployment rate in Europe.
Read our article here on what you need to work in Malta
4. It is a great place for entrepreneurship
Migrating to Malta opened the doors for me to start a company and take it forward from scratch. The government helps a lot to different entrepreneurships and the startup ecosystem is dynamic. The fact that the island is small allows you to build a good network of contacts quickly and efficiently.
5. She is beautiful
While it is true that there are some districts that are not too glamorous, the truth is that there are architectural gems such as Valletta, Mdina or La Citadella in Gozo, which despite the years I live here, I never tire of exploring. In addition, it has many boardwalks, picturesque villages and a spectacular sea. Honestly, whenever I need to recharge my aesthetic energies, I find them everywhere.
6. Social benefits of living in Malta
Malta has a free healthcare system for taxpayers and their families. I am a user of a program called "Pharmacy of your choice" for chronic diseases, which allows me to pick up my medicine free of charge at the pharmacy of my choice every two months.
They give me a medical prescription that lasts for 10 years and nobody asks me for anything more than my name when I go to the pharmacy. In Peru, despite having one of the best health insurances in the country, paid for by the multinational company I used to work for, I had to shell out around $100 out of pocket every month to have exactly the same thing I have here for free. And that's not taking into account the cost of insurance.
7. It is very well connected with Europe and the Middle East.
If you are one of those who like to travel like me, migrating to Malta is a strategic decision considering that the island is particularly well connected to the world.
From here you can fly to the main European capitals and other cities thanks to low cost airlines, such as RyanAir that has a base of operations in Malta, but you can also go to destinations like Qatar and Dubai that connect you with Asia and Africa, as there are Emirates and Qatar Airways flights to Malta. Honestly, I have taken a lot of advantage of this aspect and many times you can find really cheap air tickets.
8. You don't need to own a car.
I am one of those who have had a car all my life and I really believe that this model affects the environment and generates a lot of stress and additional expenses, however, in the big cities of Latin America it is very complicated to live without a car. Here in Malta the public transportation system connects you with the whole island.
While it is not the most punctual in the world, it does have an important range. You have, for example, ferries to various places, including Gozo, 24 hours a day. There is also a system of car sharing with electric vehicles that is really very efficient and that we use as a solution for the company, thus avoiding having to worry about parking, insurance, permits, etc.
9. It has an impressive international community
People from all over the world live in Malta and it is very easy to make friends from all continents and horizons. Since English is one of the official languages, you will always be able to communicate with everyone.
10. The economy is very stable
This from the point of view of a family, an entrepreneur or a worker is a really transcendental aspect when it comes to projecting yourself forward. For example, in the midst of the high inflation we know in the world, Malta is the EU country that has had the lowest inflation rates in 2022. In addition, its currency is the Euro, which allows you to save in a strong global currency.
In conclusion: I love living in Malta
So, I have given you a review of how my life has improved tremendously, both in quality and in opportunities. Clearly there are downsides. For example, there is so much construction that if I go out on my terrace I can hardly count how many cranes I see on the horizon, but these points are much less if I compare them with the great benefits and satisfactions that living in Malta has brought me.
Migrating to Malta, I have also become a better businessman, met great friends, been able to travel and marvel at its history and rich heritage. I really feel at home here and I don't regret for a second that I chose this island to make a piece of my life.
I close this post with a big thank you to this island that has brought me so many opportunities and that I will always carry in my heart.
Is your dream also to migrate to Malta?
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