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International citizenship schemes: how do they compare?
Joseph Muscat today said that Malta's citizenship sale is not unlike those sold by EU member states.
16 January 2014, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
1 min read
MEPs voted in favour of a resolution calling on Malta to amend its citizenship scheme
Malta's citizenship sale is to proceed despite a non-binding European Parliament resolution has called on the Maltese government to amend it.
Under the Individual Investor Programme, Malta will sell citizenship to applicants who pass due diligence tests for €650,000 in a donation to a posterity fund, as well as €350,000 in a property acquisition and €150,000 in government stocks and bonds.
MEPs and the European Commission yesterday claimed that Malta's IIP does not respect the spirit of the EU Treaty.
But the Greek presidency of the European Council said Malta is sovereign in its decision to regulate its citizenship rules, which are not in Europe's competence.
Even the Commission said that it did not want to have the power to regulate who can become a national citizen of an EU citizen.
But 89% of the European Parliament, and over 90% of socialist MEPs from Labour's political grouping the EP, voted in favour of the resolution that asked Malta to amend the IIP.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat today said the IIP would reap €1 billion, and is capped at a maximum of 1,800 applicants and dependents.
The countries compared with Malta are Austria, Cyprus, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Greece, as well as Ireland and the UK from the non-Schengen EU countries; and Singaore, Canada and the United States of America.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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Citizenship of the EU does not exist.
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Another blunder by another commissionaire.
If she acted unfairly she should resign.
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It will be really interesting to know if the other countries which have such scheme have a capping like Malta has of(1800)applicants. Because if not ironically MALTA'S scheme will be the most SERIOUS ONE OF ALL and commissioner 'reading' should have talked about this and condemn other countries which have no such capping!!
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It will be really interesting to know if the other countries which have such scheme have a capping like Malta has of(1800)applicants. Because if not ironically MALTA'S scheme will be the most SERIOUS ONE OF ALL and commissioner 'reading' should have talked about this and condemn other countries which have no such capping!!
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not amused wrong. Malta is not selling EUSSR citizenship which does NOT exist. EUSSR citizenship is a igment of the imagination because citizenship can only be granted by a State and the EUSSR is NOT a State even though it was planned from the very beginning for the EUSSR to be developed into a federal State as the USE (United States of Europe). So is it OK for you to give citizenship to foreigners about whom we know absolutely nothing like the 7,000 itizenships to foreigners given by the Gonzi regime behind the peoples back and those more than 300 ilegal immigrants just because they were here for a few years and not OK if they are carefully scrutinized and pay for it? As for addressing those who betray my country by undermining it in collaboration with foreign dictators that is exactly what they are Judas and QUISLINGS in the foreigners pay and I have no hesitation in saying it as it is. It's like blaming the pharmacist instead of the prostitute if you get what I mean.
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@Cikku. that is purely communist thinking where the state is the provider for everything but that is not the way in a free & liberal market. Serious governments try to attract foreign investment but do not solicit 'bakshish'.
@Pinto. Suggest you take a more objective look at the list and u will see that there isn't a single donation to the state coffers amongst these other schemes, with the exception of Malta. Ours is a purely cash barter for an EU citizenship, no matter how much make-up is applied. There is indeed nothing amusing about the EP's strong worded message and yet we are still insisting on going ahead with this folly.
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@avukat. Malta only needed to change the investment requirement in its scheme from an outright donation to a substantial direct investment in our country's economy and none of this would have happened. It is obvious that it our government's intention to raise state funds thru the SALE of the EU citizenship so its pointless insulting others especially if they are right on this issue. Malta has clearly overstepped its jurisdiction and the overwhelmingly one sided EP vote is a clear indication, not because it is biased but because we are in the wrong. Statesmanship is what's required now and not infantile tantrums.
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@ not amused. Thed difference is quitye vsimple. When an entyreèrtenuer invests his money hewill do so for a specific reason and would expect that all his wants are availòable for use, ie. skilled workers, good communications, reliable qand cheap services like elecricity, good roads in other words a good infrastructure. These could only be supplied by the government, hence the reason for the money derived from this scheme is being handed to the government who will see that all that is needed by entreprenuers is available. Have you listened that 33% if not 50% of the people who fouind new employment were foreigners. Was this gue to lack of labour or lack of trained labour thanks to the regime which we had for the last 25 years up to March last year
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Not amused. I can't blame you that you have signed as not amused, because how can you be amused if this chart gives a clear indication that the real reason for Simon Busuttil to oppose at all cost this scheme, is the fact that with this scheme the chance to narrow the gap between the PN and the PL will practically vanish.
Most of these schemes leads to obtain the citizenship of that country. So the final goal is the same. Only the conditions are different.
If someone have a shop that sells the same things as the one next to him, what will he do to attract customers to buy from his shop. It is natural that he have to make a more attractive offer. So, this is what Malta is doing, selling the same merchandize but with different attractive offers.
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Not amused. I can't blame you that you have signed as not amused, because how can you be amused if this chart gives a clear indication that the real reason for Simon Busuttil to oppose at all cost this scheme, is the fact that with this scheme the chance to narrow the gap between the PN and the PL will practically vanish.
Most of these schemes leads to obtain the citizenship of that country. So the final goal is the same. Only the conditions are different.
If some have a shop that sells the same things as the one next to him, what will he do to attract customers to buy from his shop. It is natural that he have to make a more attractive offer. So, this is what Malta is doing, selling the same merchandize but with different attractive offers.
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I wish to suggest to Mr. Vella to add the schemes of Bulgaria and Hungary to his list.
Some of the details are available on the website of Arton Capital, represented in Malta by a former Foreign Minister and MEP candidate on the Opposition side!
http://www.artoncapital.com/global-citizen-programs/bulgaria/
http://www.artoncapital.com/global-citizen-programs/hungary/
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@christopher vella. I think you will find some fundamental differences between Malta and those of the rest of the EU. If you compare the schemes carefully, Malta is the ONLY one which does not include the need for a direct investment in the country. Both Austria and Cyprus set a minimum investment amount, which is NOT a donation by any means while Malta's excludes a direct investment but is the ONLY one requiring a hefty DIRECT payment to the state for the privilege of Maltese citizenship. No wonder our European Peers are livid. As usual the PM is being very economical with the truth and is simply banking on populist support to push thru a fundamentally flawed scheme while blatantly ignoring the EU standing on the issue. Result is the local anti EU sentiment is being consequently inflamed and the next step will probably be a protest march against EU 'dictatorship' and in support of our PM's stand.
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If the despicable desotic corrupt colonial €USSR petty dictators think they can order us around because we are the smallest €USSR country while Dr Muscat is in power they are grossly mistaken. Those MEPs who voted against Malta and have similar schemes ought to be ashamed of themselves, but more so should the PN MEPs who fomental all this against their country. They are simply QUISLINGS and JUDAS.
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Dan ic chart juri bic car li kollox kien instigat mil pn gewwa EU. Il gvern ghandu jikkunsidra bis serjeta il pusizjoni ta Malta f'EU. LI kiku EU kienu serji kien immisom iddiskutew il pusizjoni ta Austrija u Cipru qabel ta Malta, imma mili jider EU huwa BURDEL.
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Dear Matthew, can you confirm that you compiled this table? or you obtained it from an MEP?
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It is being reported in the foreign press that more than 1200 EUROPEAN jihadists are fighting in Syria. Can Reding and Busuttil tell us:
What nationality are they.
If there are any Maltese amongst them
If they were consulted about their citizenship.
They can come and live in Malta anytime.
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Thanks Matthew..so now we have a clearer picture.. There is no doubt, the only intention was to tarnish Malta's name...shame....And since I'm not a cuc malti I can evaluate things more clearly...
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Thanks Matthew..so now we have a clearer picture.. There is no doubt, the only intention was to tarnish Malta's name...shame....And since I'm not a cuc malti I can evaluate things more clearly...
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Matthew, avery good article with one exception.
The word SALE was invented by Simon Bussuttil to try to scare people and mislead the E.U. The Malta scheme is not different from Austria and Cyprus with the exceprtion maybe of how the ionvestment is going to be dealt with. The Maltese Government is asking for the sum of €650,000 dfor investment and the investment will be carried out by tyhe Malta Government in infrastucture namely amongst other thrings Education and traingh which Malta sorely needs thanks to the 25 years of N.P. management. No entreprenuer on his own is going to invest in a country's education with the exception of maybe training of those selected for employment in his oproject. So I would say that it is wiser toleaver the investment in the hands of the Government especially one who is really interested in the well being of the whole Nation against the well bering of cliques.
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I challenge the authors of this site to find a single, official source for details of the Austrian citizenship scheme. The news of the so-called Austrian direct investor programme are being spread around by those snake-oil salespeople Henley, and various other borderline legal expat advisories. I strongly suggest that Malta Today get an official statement from the Austrian embassy, or at least do their homework, rather than scrape details off random internet pages.
In fact, Austria is one of the hardest countries to get citizenship for, especially after the highly controversial Jörg Haider case.
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Buzzieqa ohra ta Simon infaqghet. Proset Malta Today for showing us that Simon is worried about the success of this scheme: it would end his dream (and our nightmare) of ever leading Malta! Simon is hurt, and 'hurt leads to bitterness, bitterness to anger; travel too far that road and the way' is lost Simon!
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Tghid Xmun ghalhekk irid jerga jiddiskuti fil-Parliament ghaliex waqa ghan nejs? Sur Editur ibghat kopja lil Kap ta l-Opposizzjoni forsi ifftex qabel jiftah halqu.
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@peppi x, ghax Austria u Cyprus memx GAKBINI li jahdmu kontra pajjizom.
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Well done Matthew in showing this informative and essential chart. Let persons of goodwill now judge our IIP scheme involving layers of due diligence and contrast it with those of other member states which often give immediate access to the whole of the EU. I suggest that government sends this chart, also translated to Maltese , to every household in Malta and thus let our citizens make an honest judgement and not be influenced by the malicious and ulterior motive of renegades simply bent on discrediting our Labour goverernment.
Igor P. Shuvalov •
A look at the above table show that at least two other countries - Cyprus and Austria- have citizenship schemes are very close to that of Malta. So why was only Malta pinpointed in the Eu Parliament resolution?
A simple answer: no Austrian or Cyprus MEP worked hard to make sure that the name of his/her country was mentioned in this resolution. No MEP from these countries went out of his way to encourage other MEPs to present a resolution against his own country.
