Almost 200 new IIP applicants since January

573 applications for Maltese citizenship have so far been received through the government’s Individual Investor Programme, an increase of around 173 applications from January. 81 of these applicants already had multiple citizenships.

Replying to a parliamentary question by Opposition MP Claudio Grech, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela said that 56% of these applicants hailed from Russia or former Soviet States. When asked by Grech why this is so, Abela simply said that Malta’s EU membership renders it an attractive location for citizenship.

However, he said that some applicants are also considering investing in Malta.

When asked how much money has been paid to IIP concessionaries Henley and Partners according to its contract with the government, Abela said that payments to Henley are regulated according to the contract that is being discussed in the Public Accounts Committee.

“Identity Malta has no visibility over the payments that applicants make to Henley or the programme’s agents,” Abela said, adding that no licensed IIP agents have complained to him that they are on a lower footing than Henley as they have to the media.