At many of the debates I have attended during my brief political career, I have found myself surrounded by at least four times as many candidates from both the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party. On one occasion, at Turning the Tables: Conference on Political Rights held on Saturday 5th March, I was alone. The silence from PLPN, in not attending this discussion, on political rights for migrants was apparent in the conference centre. Multiple attendees loudly indicated that the discussion was of clear non-interest to PLPN, and not only because there weren’t that many voters in the room.

The date of the event was set a while before the election was announced, and the organisers had indeed reached out to the Government and Opposition to attend the event. In the end the discussion was held between myself, two migrants who have been living and contributing to Maltese society for some years - Professor Ahmed M Shembesh and Mohamed Ali Aguerbi - and Dr Carla Camilleri from the Aditus foundation.

Indeed, all the better for it, as we were able to collectively deconstruct myths around not giving political rights to migrants. While also addressing the gross issues concerning the applications for Maltese citizenship. On paper there is a more or less clear path to citizenship, in practice it is not so. Granting of citizenship is based on the discretion of the Minister for Home Affairs, and although in theory an application can be sent after 5 years living in Malta, in practice applications are accepted from those who have lived for 10 years. There are other issues with this law, as for instance family units cannot apply as a whole. There is also no right to appeal decisions. At times, this pathway to citizenship therefore becomes a pathway to undocumented status.

Inevitably we discussed the double standards and hypocrisy in terms of the golden passports, which are also being discussed in the European Parliament. A report from the LIBE committee, approved on the 9th of March considers golden passport schemes as “objectionable from an ethical, legal and economic point of view”, they also pose security risks for the EU. The report also highlights that the conditions for achieving citizenship by investment compared to the conditions for third-country nationals who wish to have residence, protection, or citizenship in the EU are discriminatory and unfair.

These golden double standards need to be addressed in both the EU and Malta. I am glad that the EU is taking a strong stance on the issue of golden passports, but I also hope that the EU and all member states take a strong position in welcoming asylum seekers by offering safe and legal pathways. Malta’s own double standards should also be addressed, and as ADPD we are ready to do so once elected.

Mina Tolu is an election candidate on the 9th and 10th districts for ADPD – The Green Party. Email: [email protected]