Maltese in Australia concerned

A large number of Maltese citizens in Australia were enraged at the amendments to the Malta Citizenship Act passed last month, introducing the Individual Investor Programme, better known as the ‘citizenship for sale’ scheme. Many strongly believe that Maltese citizenship should not be for sale and granted to anyone who has no commitment to our country as evidenced by a reasonable period of residence, direct significant investment and community participation in Malta. There is also a strong belief that monetary consideration as the only eligibility criterion could attract the wrong type to the detriment of the nation and community.

It is clear that there is a conflict of interest in having the contracted company both carry out the due diligence and promote the scheme. The government should continue to be responsible for carrying out the due diligence test on applicants.

It should also publish the names of the applicants prior to the issue of citizenship in order to provide MPs with an opportunity to comment on the applicants’ suitability.

The response given by Finance Minister Edward Scicluna to a question on the scheme put by German MEP Sven Giegold before the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs was unconvincing, disjointed, confusing and simply an embarrassment to our nation and those who hold Malta in high regard.

His explanation contradicted the statements made in Parliament during the Second Reading by Minister Manuel Mallia, justifying the introduction of the Bill. Scicluna’s statements that this legislation was hastily put together and that an intended result was to attract people of calibre, of whom, according to him, there is a shortage in Malta, were, in my opinion, nothing short of an insult to the Maltese people.

From Australia, we are following what is going on with regard to this issue with a great deal of interest and concern.