A large number of Maltese citizens in Australia was enraged by the amendments to the Malta Citizenship Act passed by the Maltese parliament last month, introducing the Individual Investor Programme – better known as the ‘Citizenship for Sale’ scheme – enabling the sale of Maltese citizenship to any person for the price of €650,000.

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 of people, to the detriment of the nation and the community.

In terms of managing the “due diligence” process, it is clear that there is a patent conflict of interest in having the contracted company both carry out the due diligence and promote the scheme. The Maltese government should continue to be responsible for carrying out the due diligence test on applicants and not avoid responsibility by putting this in the hands of third parties. As part of this process, the government should publish the names of applicants prior to the issue of citizenship in order to provide Members of Parliament with an opportunity to comment on their suitability.

In my view, the response given by Maltese 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 on 5 December 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 Mallia, justifying the introduction of the Bill. Prof Scicluna’s statements that this legislation was hastily put together and that an intended result was to attract people of calibre, of which, 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 watching further developments on this issue with a great deal of interest and concern. I note that the European Parliament also has concerns over the scheme due to its implications on European citizenship and that it has placed this issue on its agenda for discussion and debate at its meeting on 15 January.

I trust that both the Government and the Opposition will, as a matter of urgency, finalise their negotiations and reach consensus in the interests of the Maltese nation. It is critical that the eligibility criteria should require applicants to have a history of financial investment and a reasonable period of residence in Malta before they are granted citizenship.

Victor George Borg

VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA