Six out of a possible 12 “complete” applications processed for the government’s citizenship scheme have been sent back as they require more documentation, a spokesperson for the Home Affairs Ministry confirmed to this media house.

In reply to a Parliamentary Question on Monday, Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia said that 144 applications for residency have been received, 12 of which are “complete applications.”

Of these complete applications, Identity Malta, the citizenship scheme’s regulator, has decided to process six of them. The other six have been sent back to the agents through which the prospective Maltese citizens applied for the scheme.

 

National Development and Social Fund board not appointed

The mechanisms of the scheme are still very much a work in progress, as Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told Parliament that the board governing the National Development and Social fund has yet been appointed.

The board will oversee the management of 70% of the €650,000 received from each of the main applicants for the scheme. 

The funds shall be used "in the public interest" for education, research, innovation, social purposes, justice and the rule of law, employment, the environment and public health.

Dr Muscat said that the board will be appointed at the “opportune time.”

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil asked in Parliament from which countries the applicants originate from. Dr Mallia declined to reply, saying that the regulator will be passing on a report on the operations of Identity Malta as required by law.

Nationals from Afghanistan, Iran and North Korea are currently barred from applying.

 

No investments by applicants yet

One of the requirements of the citizenship scheme is that the main applicant must commit to an investment in Malta which cannot be less than €150,000 and which must be held for at least 5 years. The investment may take the form of government stocks, bonds or investments approved by Identity Malta.

Dr Mallia said the application received are still being processed, therefore the applicants have not yet reached the stage where they are required to invest €150,000.

 

Citizenship scheme monitoring committee yet to meet

The monitoring committee setup up oversee the workings of the citizenship scheme has yet to meet, despite several calls by Dr Busuttil for it to do so.

Dr Busuttil, who forms part of the committee, first challenged the government back in April to urgently convene the committee.

Replying to questions sent by the Malta Independent, a spokesperson for the PN said that Dr Busuttil’s call for the committee to meet has thus far fallen on deaf ears.

“The leader of the Opposition is still waiting for the monitoring committee to convene despite having publicly called for it to convene on more than one occasion,” the spokesperson said.