Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/212250
13 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 17 NOVEMBER 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD Vindicated by the onslaught in the international media, which equated the Individual Investor Programme to a sale of citizenship, the Opposition's shadow minister on home affairs Jason Azzopardi compares selling citizenship to Faust's pact with the devil. But does the Nationalist Party risk coming across as a spoilsport if the scheme pays off? in Malta is overshadowed by the "singular non-reviewable discretion" which the minister for home affairs enjoys in decisions on each case. The discretionary powers of the minister are described as "avenues of potential abuse and conflicts of interest". Moreover, while the names of all these citizens are published in the government gazette, the names of the citizens granted citizenship after paying €650,000 will not be published. In parliament, the PN unsuccessfully presented amendments to the law to limit the IIP programme to people who have been recognised as Maltese residents for five years. Why did it not propose a similar residence period for all people who seek citizenship through naturalisation, as happens in countries like Belgium? Azzopardi agrees that a reform of citizenship laws is imperative but insists that the opposition's amendments were addressing the bill proposed by the government. "We need amendments to the law. But it was the government which rushed things and so prevented a wider discussion on citizenship. The need to reform our citizenship laws is real, but has nothing to do with the sale of citizenships." One of the major shortcomings in the citizenship regime, according to Azzopardi, is the unofficial policy – which has been in force for the past 15 years – which effectively allows for the granting of citizenship only granted after 17 years… even if this is not stipulated by the law itself. "Should we establish this required period of residency before naturalisation in the law? Should it be 17 years, or should we reduce it to, say, six years? What I insist is that this period of residency should be established by law so that things remain clear for everyone. Obviously, we need to discuss the amount of years a foreign national would need to spend in Malta before citizenship is finally granted." Despite all the Opposition's legitimate objections to the new law, there is a distinct possibility that the scheme will result in a good revenue flow for the government. Politically, will this not give the government the chance of portraying the opposition as a spoiler which wants to deny the country of this easy stream of revenue? Azzopardi insists that this is ultimately a question of values. "Through this scheme this government is sending one strong message. The only important thing is money. Their mentality is summed by the Prime Minister's own declaration in London that the scheme is aimed at attracting "talented" people. This reveals that for the PM, being rich automatically means that one has talent… the same prime minister who repeatedly said that Malta has too many immigrants, and that it cannot carry the burden anymore is now saying that we are open to everyone with €650,000 to spare." Does the PN exclude an abrogative referendum to repeal the new law? Azzopardi would not jump the gun. "We have started discussing this subject internally and we are not excluding gathering signatures for a referendum." He makes it clear that Opposition to the sale of citizenship cuts across partisan divides. "I have received many emails of support from Labour voters who oppose this scheme." Muscat has lambasted opposition to this scheme based on anachronistic nationalism. Departing from his hawkish stance on immigration during the summer months after being stopped by the European court of justice from pushing back a group of migrants to Libya, Muscat now insists that Malta should be open for rich and talented foreigners. In this context, Azzopardi accepts the "nationalist" label with pride. "For us nationalism is not motivated by exclusion of others but by love for the country. We are not willing to sell our country in the same way as Faust was willing to sell his soul to the devil. Labour is presently practicing an extremely right wing policy: if you have money we give a red carpet treatment, while if you are poor you get pushed back."