The pot has been simmering for a very long time, but now it appears to have come to a violent boil. Action needs to be taken immediately and Minister for Home Affairs Byron Camilleri must shoulder the political responsibility and resign.

The Home Affairs Ministry and the entities and agencies that operate under its wing are in complete disarray, as it is becoming more evident by the day that Byron Camilleri has lost all control over his ministry.

It started a while ago, but it all came to a head with the revelations made by Lawyer Jason Azzopardi, who lifted the lid on one of the most harrowing scandals our country has ever seen - alleging that no less than 18,000 identity cards were issued by Identity Malta (now Identitá) over a number of years, under manifestly and intentionally false pretences.

18,000. That is not a small number. That is a significant amount of official documents, which are supposed to identify an individual, and reassure employers, banks, public institutions, as well as international customs that the person in front of them is indeed who they claim to be.

Apart from the alleged astronomical value which runs into the millions, the ID cards scandal is extremely grave as it erodes a significant chunk of our entire value system, the State itself, and the Shengen treaty of which we are signatories. With this scandal coming to light, we effectively declared to our European partners that our ID Cards are not worth the plastic they are printed on, effectively making us unreliable partners.

The cherry on the cake was only savoured when many families started receiving correspondence addressed to third country nationals at their homes. At first people ignored them, and didn't think much of them, thinking it must have been a somewhat amusing error somewhere in the system. But when these letters persisted, and started emerging from government institutions and other large-scale organisations that should, and do, know better, they started to raise an eyebrow or two - and it all suddenly started to make sense!

The outrageous part of it all is the absolute silence from Government and from Minister Camilleri about the entire scandal. We know that the existence of a scandal has been acknowledged, as Identitá has issued instructions to all those receiving wrongly addressed correspondence to their homes, and what they ought to do with them. However, that is where it has stopped.

No statement from Government, no official position from Minister Camilleri and most importantly no responsibility shouldered. But we are used to this by now aren't we? I mean, till two weeks ago, we had a sitting, criminally charged Governor of the Central Bank... so this is the new normal under Labour, I guess.

Immediate action is necessary. Therefore, as the Opposition, we have insisted on two urgent measures this past week: the release of the full inquiry conducted in Identita, assuming it actually took place, and the immediate launch of a service that allows property owners to verify how many individuals are registered as residing at their address.

It brings me no joy to shadow a Ministry in such disarray. The Home Affairs Ministry is one of the most important elements in any government, providing the backbone of the entire structure. It is literally called the home affairs ministry for a reason - yet, sadly, this government is unable to get its ducks in order, right at home.

The Identita scandal is just the latest addition to a series of controversies that have emerged in recent months from the Home Affairs Ministry. These include the secret meeting at Corradino Prison involving the Head of Strategy, Yorgen Fenech, and a third party; the extension of Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa's tenure; his recent statement that the Police's role is to implement policies from Labour's political manifesto; the infrastructural issues at Corradino Prison; and the list continues.

Minister Camilleri must go. The country needs a minister who can grab the bull by the horns and bring order to this crucial ministry. Otherwise, we will continue to learn of more and more scandals and unbecoming behaviour in the years to come.

Hon Dr Darren Carabott is the Opposition's Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, Security and Reforms, and President of the Public Accounts Committee.