Malta on the ‘high end’ with citizenship scheme – Bonnici

Malta would be on the high end when compared with countries with similar schemes, according to parliamentary secretary for justice Owen Bonnici.

"With a contribution of €725,000 for a family of four, Malta is going to be on the high end when compared with other competitors," Bonnici told the House of Representatives.

Bonnici also said that Henley & Partners, the exclusive concessionaire for the IIP, would only be responsible of the promotion and processing of applications.

"Due diligence will be carried out by independent firms such as ISPA International and Thomson Reuters."

He said citizenship by investment "was an innovative programme, not a scheme, which should serve to create wealth" in Malta.

"This programme was the target of endless attacks by the Opposition in over 13 hours of contradicting arguments while neither the shadow minister nor the leader of the Opposition had the decency to listen to the whole debate," the junior minister said.

According to Bonnici, behind the Opposition's criticism laid "only confusion".

"At one point they're telling us we're wiping our feet on Maltese citizenship and at the same time they say some technical changes would encourage investors to join the programme.

"Some of the Opposition members tell us we couldn't sink lower, while others worked hard to win the tender."

Bonnici said that with its arguments, the Opposition was "hurting the country".

According to the junior minister, it was the right of every state to award citizenship in its sovereignty.

Fending off criticism about "a too short law", Bonnici said as the country evolved, the Nationalist government in 2000 had wanted a Maltese Constitution that was in line with Europe's. The Constitution had been amended to declare the principle on citizenship but rules were explained in ordinary law.

"The Nationalist government had then been right and the then Labour Opposition had supported the amendments," he said, adding that Tonio Borg had then declared that Chapter 3 of the Constitution had been brought down from 14 pages to just a page.

Bonnici explained that it was ordinary law that regulated citizenship, according to the amendments brought in by the Nationalist government.

The government, he said, was focusing on awarding citizenship by naturalisation. Until 1987, citizenship was awarded according to the Prime Minister's own discretion. Today, the minister responsible of citizenship had the right to award citizenship to any individual on humanitarian grounds.

"We are now going one step further and proposing to award citizenship by naturalisation to those who are ready to directly invest in a national development fund," Bonnici said.

The government is projecting a €30 million income next year from the IIP, with €15 million directed to the budget and €15 million to the fund.

The programme, Bonnici said, would result in the country "benefiting from talent and financial contribution".

He insisted that the principles being introduced authorised a minister to seek payment "as an investment".

"There is nothing in the Act which implies that one could acquire citizenship against the will of the government. Citizenship will only be awarded after due diligence is carried out and according to national policy," he said.

Bonnici insisted that there was nothing in the Act which implied that citizenship was "up for sale". He insisted that IIP was not a measure to sell passports but "a measure approving applications of citizenship based on the contribution a person would make.

"Citizenship is not something you buy off the market or internet and there is a whole process of verification which has to be done," he said.

Reacting to declarations by Opposition leader Simon Busuttil that a Nationalist government would repeal citizenship granted through IIP, citing the universal declaration for human rights, Bonnici said "no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality or denied the right to change his nationality".