I understand that EU citizens and other foreign nationals will have to go through the process of gaining residency all over again. Why must we do this, when the authorities already have all our information (and have had it for the last four years)? We also have passports. We have updated our address and photo ID cards each time we moved (as recently as August 2012.)

I challenge the requirement to renew our residency and ID cards. We have fulfilled our obligation to register with the authorities according to EU Law and kept our information up-to-date.

Why were ID cards (pre January 2013) issued with a prolonged expiry date when it was known the system was going to be changed? Ours have an expiry date in 2018. In addition, they were still being issued in December, in the full knowledge that they would have to be re-applied for. Is this another example of policy made “on the hoof”?

What does the Ministry concerned intend to do if people do not renew their residency permits or, indeed, apply? What and how will this issue be enforced? We are hearing rumours of fines being imposed? Are Maltese nationals being asked to do the same? They have a natural right to residency but are they being asked to renew their cards, too? What penalties will they impose on them if they don’t renew? There must be thousands of local nationals with out-of-date ID cards and most have no intention of renewing them.

Why were we not informed by mail shot? What about foreign nationals who still do not know about this? They may not understand Maltese, or buy a newspaper. They may not have internet access or email. Are they supposed to just learn about this by word of mouth?

Remember, many foreign residents are of the older generation, most likely retired, at an age where the internet is often a puzzle. Even the government website’s advice regarding appointments being available is flawed, because they are only available by email. There is no mention of a telephone appointment system. Taking the 25,000 non-Maltese EU nationals alone, dealing with 50 applications per day (you can only apply on Tuesdays and Fridays) means it will take 250 weeks to complete. Even at 100 per day, it will still take over two years. Then there are the non-EU foreign residents and immigrants to consider.

What a shambles!

David Reiling

MELLIEHA