Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg announced in parliament a number of amendments to the Citizenship Act.

The amendments affect people born abroad to Maltese parents also born abroad. Therefore Malta will be extending dual citizenship rights to second generation Maltese born outside Malta.

In a statement, the minister explained that citizenship had been limited to Maltese born abroad when one of their parents had been born in Malta. Now, even second generation Maltese born to Maltese parents also born abroad will be able to apply for a Maltese passport and citizenship.

The process is expected to be up and running in a few months, and he pointed out that it was a PN government that had, since independence, introduced reforms related to citizenship.

Dr Borg also stated that citizenship was being extended to those born abroad before 1964 from a Maltese mother born in Malta and to a foreign father. This had only been possible if the father was Maltese, unless the person had lived in Malta for five years. The amendment is also extended to their children.

The minister said that since the reforms in 1989 and 2000, the Citizenship Department had confirmed the right to dual citizenship to 12,250 people.

The amendments also make it possible for the spouses of persons who gave exceptional service to Malta to be granted Maltese citizenship by order, without having to await the expiry of five years from their marriage and without having to reside in Malta for a period of time.

Taking questions from the House, Labour MP Noel Farrugia asked whether the government would address the situation of those born and resident in Malta to foreign parents and foreigners living and working in Malta for a period of time, say five years.

Mario Galea (PN) asked whether new holders of dual citizenship would become citizens of the EU and now that more people of Maltese descent were being given the right to dual citizenship, would Maltese working abroad be given the right to vote?

Replying, Dr Borg said that since 1989 people born in Malta to foreign parents did not automatically become Maltese. However there was a small number of people born before 1989 in Malta who were now considered Maltese. Hence, Maltese citizenship was being extended to their parents if they have lived in Malta for 15 years.

He said one could consider extending Maltese citizenship to foreigners living in Malta, and giving a significant service to Malta, after five years, without their waiting for some 20 years, but it was not right to grant citizenship to all those who worked in Malta for five years. All foreigners who worked legally in Malta for five years received five-year residency permits.

Dr Borg said all those who acquired dual citizenship would become citizens of the EU and enjoy the rights of movement and working in the EU.

On voting rights, Dr Borg said regulations on residency should be retained but he felt that voting rights should be extended to Maltese working in the EU institutions because Malta is now part of the EU.