Diplomatic passports should be utilised when travelling on official duties, a spokesperson for the Ministry for Foreign and European affairs told The Malta Independent on Sunday. He was quoting from the Diplomatic Passport Policy.

He said that the criteria for one to have a diplomatic passport are also set in this policy; however, this was not provided to this media house.

Asked for details of who is entitled to a diplomatic passport, the ministry said that the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs officials who form part of Malta’s Diplomatic Corps and serving within the ministry are in possession of a diplomatic passport, as are members of the executive.

Additionally, Presidents Emeriti, former Prime Ministers, former Speakers of the House of Representatives and Members of Parliament, who do not hold a ministerial portfolio, are also entitled to a diplomatic passport.

Asked on benefits granted with the use of such passport, the spokesperson said that it grants the holder certain privileges such as easier travel, like the fact that one would not necessarily need an entry visa.

The issue of who is entitled to a diplomatic passport arose after it was revealed, by Prime Minister Robert Abela in Parliament, that his predecessor Joseph Muscat was allowed to retain his after his resignation in 2019.

Abela said that Muscat’s termination package involves a "diplomatic passport and other protocol facilities".

Abela was answering a parliamentary question filed by PN MP Graham Bencini, who asked for the details of Muscat’s golden handshake.

Muscat had also received an office at Sa Maison, a car and a chauffeur, two landlines and an internet system, a computer or laptop with a printer or scanner, a mobile phone with €2,330 worth of calls and a second car.

Muscat had resigned in disgrace in 2019 soon after his office was linked to the police investigation into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. In December that year, Muscat had been named as the Person of the Year for organised crime and corruption by an international consortium of journalists.

That Muscat was allowed to retain his diplomatic passport was a move that received criticism from all quarters. Independent candidate Arnold Cassola has asked the Standards Commissioner to investigate why Abela chose to allow Muscat to retain it in spite of no longer being a public officer.

The leader of ADPD-The Green Party, Carmel Cacopardo, went one step further by saying that the decision for Muscat to retain the diplomatic passport should be rescinded, given the serious circumstances which led to his resignation. “A diplomatic passport gives its bearer a number of diplomatic rights and privileges which, bearing in mind the serious circumstances which led to Joseph Muscat resigning as prime minister, create further suspicions on his actions which still await in-depth criminal investigation.” 

 

Diplomatic passport benefits

Holders of diplomatic passports are entitled to a number of benefits.

Apart from travelling visa free in certain countries, depending on country of providence and country of destination, the passport holder might be granted diplomatic immunity.

This means that diplomatic passport holders are granted legal immunity from lawsuit or prosecution, however there are still limitations placed. Apart from this, diplomatic passport holders are easily recognised as governmental officials, so they can be “treated” accordingly.

They also might qualify to be exempt from certain airport protocols, such as bag searches and identity checks.

The bearer can go through an airport without delaying time by waiting for their belongings or identification to be approved.

They might also benefit from using specific diplomatic licence plates on their vehicle.

Additionally, a person with a diplomatic passport is not required to pay any taxes associated with travel, whether it be by air or by land.