When Gonzi said that Labour is an embarrassment, the ‘switchers’ jeered and sneered. But he was right. Now they’re launching the ‘buy a Maltese passport’ scheme at a London hotel.
Get ready for the ‘sale of Maltese passports’ law to be rushed right through parliament. The government, in cooperation with Malta’s High Commission in London, has already scheduled a Big Launch of the scheme at a prominent London hotel.
Exactly what is the bumph going to say? ‘GET YOUR MALTESE PASSPORT FREE BY INVESTING EUR650,000 IN OUR DESPERATE ISLAND, AND GET CHEAP EUR25,000 PASSPORTS FOR ANY WIVES AND CHILDREN – YOUR PARENTS AND IN-LAWS AT JUST EUR50,000’?
How painfully, excruciatingly embarrassing: a launch to sell Maltese passports, at a London hotel.
And how very self-undermining. We had the previous government working like blazes to promote Malta as a financial services jurisdiction which is attractive because of its legislation and general infrastructural and work conditions.
And now here’s this lot, sending out the message that we’re so f**king desperate the only way we can do it is by selling our EU passports cheap, or selling them at all for that matter, since the price really is irrelevant. Only the fact that the price is cheap makes this move even more ghastly.
Why London? Nobody with a British passport is going to be allowed to buy a Maltese passport. Nobody with any EU passport is. The scheme is for non-EU citizens only: you know, Azerbaijanis, Tajikistanis, Georgians, that kind of thing. I don’t think it’s even aimed at Chinese, really, because China does not allow dual citizenship and Chinese plutocrats are unlikely to want to give up their Chinese passport.
I’ll tell you why London: because if they launch in their target market it will give the game away and take off what they imagine to be the gloss.
It’s also because London is where many of these people are hanging out temporarily under the radar, unable to stay there permanently because of their visa conditions. All they have to do now is buy cheap Maltese passports from Manuel Mallia and then wave them under the nose of Britain’s Home Office: a passport that gives them the right to stay in London as an EU citizen without hassles and visas and risk of removal.
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What sort of person is going to be on the guest list and who recommended those names? Was it someone who was at a business networking reception at the High Commission recently?
Or is this a press launch, thought up by someone who measures London media by the band club yardstick back home?
I can only imagine what this whole fiasco will do – or, indeed, has already done – to our image overseas.
It just reeks of desperation, and sends the worst messages possible: Malta is desperate for cash and investment, we are apparently not good enough to merit the solid inward financial flows we enjoyed before before. And I’m sure Malta’s credit rating will consequently continue to slump.
Forget our image, that’s the least of our worries. Just you wait for the diplomatic repercussions. All of a sudden some countries may not be so willing to turn a blind eye to our favourable situation with regard to our status as tax haven, financial hub and igaming hub. Just wait and see…
Daphne, can you name the hotel?
Usually it is the Corinthia Hotel, London.
Mhux il-Corinthia London, tghid?
I wish some hard-headed journalist would collar Muscat and keep on at him to spill his guts on what made him change his mind on Malta being a member of the EU.
Meta dahlu l-immigranti, dawn in-nies qajjmu agha kbira ghax qed johdulna pajjizna.
U meta ha jigu dawn l-investituri u jkollhom cittadinanza Maltija, x’ha jghidu dawn l-istess nies? Ma nahsibx li ha jinvestu f’Malta ghal xejn. Jahsbu li dawn l-investituri ma jkunux iridu xi tip ta kontrol?
Anything can be had for a price, even a nation’s soul.
For God’s sake, what would we do without you?
Thanks
As mentioned in the last paragraph, there is a category of individuals who would invest in an EU passport.
However, I ask myself, who would want to appear on the guest list of this launch?
I imagine potential buyers would want to be discreet and invited personalities have no reason to celebrate such a move (in my opinion).
What kind of atmosphere will it be? A celebratory atmosphere seems inadequate to me…I perceive this as a sad and embarrassing event with an embarrassing host to boot.
Thank God for Daphne.
Thanks Daphne for your hard work and regular updates.
I should imagine that it’s the Corinthia in London, and that the facilities and venue will be provided FOC.
So the Government has already chosen an agency to promote this scheme and now seems to be heading straight into a promotional campaign, even though the relevant legislation has gone through the required parliamentary process.
Such arrogance.
Why doesn’t Muscat go the whole hog and not bother with a parliamentary debate at all, or even a vote?
This will do away with the niceties and expenses of having a parliament and he can be dictator for five years. Minister Mallia will give his full backing to this new liberal and modern method of governance. It is right up his Heil Fuhrer street.
http://www.theparliament.com/latest-news/article/newsarticle/eu-experiencing-worrisome-rise-of-right-wing-and-national-populist-parties/#.Ulnau82e6e1
The scheme will ONLY attract members of the black economy.
They’ll get the passport, legitimise their ill gotten gains by taking up local real estate and invest the laundered money overseas. The entire operation may spark increased real estate sales and local developments.
However, this would be only a bubble. An increased influx of criminals will attract the attention of Interpol and other similar agencies. I envisage frozen assets and a good chunk of the real estate lying fallow.
What guarantees do we have that terrorists aren’t going to grace our islands?
9/11 demonstrated that Al Qaeda went to great lengths to introduce sleepers into America.
Yes many would disregard Malta but isn’t this scheme an open invitation to live and work in the EU? Only three hours away from Britain, one of the targets for acts of terror?
Maltese passports will be sold in the same manner that Isfahan, Mashad and Tabriz rugs of dubious origin are sold by shady characters in top London hotels.
This reminds me of Andreotti’s description of Mintoff as “un venditore di tappeti”.
The PL seems intent on humiliating the motherland.
Malta deserves better than to be run by this riffraff.
Strangely enough, the Maltese High Commission mentions nothing:
http://www.foreign.gov.mt/default.aspx?MDIS=4220
Daphne, have a look at this quote on from inewsmalta.com
(http://www.inewsmalta.com/dart/20131011-kieku-nista-naqbad-gaffa-ng-addi-minn-fuq-belt)
“Intant il-perit Charles Buhagiar mill-BICC […] Qal li min irid jixtri ċ-ċittadinanza Maltija m’għandux bini ta’ kwalità għolja x’jixtri f’Malta.”
Great. Let’s improve our town planning “halli jigu l-barranin”, not for the locals.
But that’s exactly what they’re after.
It seems that the vetting of applicants for these Maltese passports will be entrusted to a commercial company.
Has the Prime Minister any sense of dignity?
Or is he admitting, after the Nair fiasco, that his government is incompetent to carry out such investigations?
It’s insurance when, not if, things go wrong.
Because the intention is to collude.
Absolutely no reason why passport ‘vetting’ has to be outsourced to a ‘contractor’ other than that.
with that?
After the sale of a 35% stake in Enemalta to the undemocratic communist government of China, this is the second bailout of the Maltese economy conducted by the Malta Labour party government. This time we are funding our economy with the money of individuals with dubious conduct and their close relatives.
They can hold another promotion at the same hotel for the January sales.
I bet they’ll be more successful if they give a commission to the high-end escorts. Their clients tend to be the same group of people Joseph Muscat is looking for.
The government’s thinking is so progressive and liberal.
If you’re black and have 25,000 Euros you can buy a Maltese (and therefore EU) passport. If you’re black and have spent all your life’s savings in the hope of saving your children’s lives by escaping a war zone then you will be “pushed back”, probably to your death. Pure genius.
I wonder what Muscat’s pals of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, such as Schulz, have to say about this.
You bet what target he’s after. The shape of things to come along Tower Road.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V81IkgXVQc
Miskin Chetcuti, dik id-daqsxejn ta’ Modena.
Muscat has to keep his promise to all those pimps, scoundrels and thieves who financed his campaign. He’s sending Malta into the gutter.
My feeling is that those who switched the vote are still hoping that they have done the right thing on the 9th of March and probably won’t see anything wrong with it!
What’s prostitution all about ?
Yes, and they’re also advertising it in neon colours on the FinanceMalta website.
What selling passports with selling Malta as a professional onshore financial services jurisdiction have to do with each other is mind boggling
China does not allow dual citizenship but has no mechanism to stop its people, even high ranking Communist Party members, from holding another countries passport undeclared. This is very far from being uncommon.
The Malta Individual Investor Programme is not targeting high quality business people, Chinese or otherwise: The scheme is targeting people of its originators ilk, bums.
Why is the launching venue London? It is imperative to create shocking surprises for the tabloids’ front pages.
Mintoff, of ‘Malta l-ewwel u qabel kollox’ persuasion, will be turning in his grave over this …
London, eh? Is this the kind of money Muscat is hoping to attract? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2256054/Knightsbridge-residents-slam-young-Arab-drivers-ruining-lives-reckless-driving-supercars.html
The Labour Party led by Joseph Muscat has turned Malta into a whore house: pay and enter.
Now he is trying to play the charitable one with the poor immigrants.
Anything for publicity and to turn the focus away from Nair and his Malta Passport Citizen sale of the century.
Being a Maltese citizen with dual nationality, I am inclined for that price to sell my Maltese citizenship and retain my Australian passport only. Do you think this is possible?
[Daphne – Taking your question literally: No.]
I don’t usually agree with you but yes, on this one.
Passports for sale – what crap.
The next step is to sell them at auction at Sotheby’s.
Cheap? Its VERY expensive!
Is this passport selling thing (if certain) is going to happen firstly i think it is a true embarrassment, and also it’s like going back in the past when the governent sold the registration of ships cheaply & thus every sea accident became a national issue! So with the same frame of mind, criminals of all kind, nation and colour will be able to put our country down the drain.. Goodbye investors, goodbye self-esteem! I apologise profoundly for my next line, but… “Malta will just be a cheap slut with legs wide open for years to come!” I am very proud and emotional when it comes to my country i take such things very much at heart.. these things just make me feel sick and truly sadened to say the least! I hope a lot of screening processes will be involved when giving our passports away.
I have several non-Maltese friends who have chosen Malta to be their home in the real sense of the word. Persons who have been living in Malta for years, paying taxes, contributing to our economy, sending their kids to school here, people who are truly part of our community.
Yet they are denied the right to have a vote in general elections because they are foreign even though the outcome would have a direct impact on their lives. I have spoken to a few of them and they are livid that citizenship is denied to them, persons who genuinely contribute to our economy and community yet is available to those who can purchase it. It saddens them and makes us look so cheap.