Former United States Ambassador to Malta Douglas W. Kmiec said that no country can afford to sell its citizenship.

Writing on Facebook on a link to The Malta Independent story on how foreign media is reacting to the citizenship scheme to be implemented by the government - posted by Nationalist MP George Pullicino – Mr Kmiec said that cost of the Maltese passport as proposed, at €650,000 “would vastly understate its value”.

Mr Kmiec served as US Ambassador to Malta between 2009 and 2001,

His full comment is as follows: “I doubt that these media characterizations are fair- minded. The fact is Malta has always been an innovating, problem-solving land. No nation can afford to sell its citizenship, and if a wonderful nation like Malta attempted to do so, i venture to say even $650,000 Euros would vastly understate its value. I have every confidence that Maltese citizenship would entail appropriate understanding of the principles of the Republic as well. One of those principles is to take seriously, its obligation to those who seek opportunity, but who lack resources. Provided a healthy part of the fees charged for the opportunity to invest as a new citizen in the promise that Malta represents, as an exemplar of the rule of law and democracy, as a financial actor with up to date laws promoting equity markets with integrity, and most importantly as a geographically small nation with a broad-minded perspective capable of honoring people of different faiths, why should Malta be intimidated by other nations who never rescued a single migrant from an unforgiving sea, let alone sought to create a new funding source that would be significantly devoted to overcoming what His Holiness Francis labeled "shameful" -- namely, the global complacency and disregard of the poor.”