Updated | Zammit Dimech makes pitch for ‘residence period’ before awarding citizenship

Nationalist MP Francis Zammit Dimech said the Individual Investors Programme, better known as the citizenship scheme, should be based on an individual's concrete ties with the country.

Parliament this evening is discussing the IIP which is set to enter into force by next year with government envisaging an income of €30 million from the scheme.

Zammit Dimech, who attended the summit on citizenship by investment in London last week, urged government to reconsider the criteria by which citizenship is awarded.

During his speech, the MP clarified that his presence at the summit had nothing to do with the scheme being put forward by the government and it was a "coincidence" that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat addressed the summit on its second day.

FZD Advocates, of which Zammit Dimech is a senior partner, represented Arton Capital Inc in the tender to be the government's concessionaire on its citizenship sale programme.

The financial advisory firm has filed a judicial protest, appealing a decision by the ministry for home affairs and national security to take on global citizenship advisory firm Henley.

Addressing parliament, Zammit Dimech - who at no point did he appear to oppose the scheme - said "there were several citizenship schemes around the world, but the best ones are those tied to foreign direct investment."

He said that Malta's scheme may be based on that adopted in the Caribbean countries, "with certain aspects being worse".

The Nationalist MP insisted that Malta should head towards a model by which an individual is required to reside in Malta between two and five years, participate directly in the economy or purchase a property before citizenship is awarded.

"Malta is however going for a citizenship by donation, making citizenship a mere transaction. This is gambling," he said.

Zammit Dimech insisted that the proposed law allowed "secret citizens".

'Government selling voting rights'

According to the PN's secretary-general, the citizenship scheme meant that government was now "selling voting rights".

Taking the floor, Chris Said insisted that while those who would have "purchased citizenship would remain anonymous, they would enjoy the right to vote".

Parliamentary secretary for justice Owen Bonnici intervened to clarify that, according to the process of naturalization, a person would have first to apply, with the name subsequently being published in the electoral register.

"It is illegal to buy a vote," Bonnici told Said, to which the latter retorted "they would be buying their vote".

He also said that the guarantee of anonymity would last until a Nationalist government is reelected.

The PN MP said the Individual Investor Programme was "misleading" in its name "given that no investment was required".

He insisted it was misleading of the government to compare the scheme with that of Austria as the latter required an investment which did not include government stocks and bonds.

"Austria applies very stringent prerequisites with direct investments and job creation. Why can't we have a similar system?" he said.

He added it was very demeaning for Parliament that Henley was already marketing the scheme despite the House of Representatives was still discussing the law.