After Italy, Germany and France have gone wild with it, it looks like the London press has just woken up to the potential of this story
It was on the front page of The Financial Times this morning, and it’s also on The Daily Mail. Whatever your views might be about that newspaper, the fact is that it is carrying the story and this means that the British media have finally woken up to the implications of this story after Germany, France and Italy have already gone wild with it.
Malta to sell citizenship for £500,000 with buyers allowed to live and work ANYWHERE in the European Union
– UK Home Office warns it will not tolerate ‘abuse’ of free movement laws
– From January super-rich can buy a passport and EU citizenship from Malta
– Will be charged €650,000 (£546,000) but won’t have to live in country
– European Commission says it cannot intervene in a national government
By Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor
PUBLISHED: 09:27 GMT, 10 December 2013 | UPDATED: 10:42 GMT, 10 December 2013
Wealthy foreigners will be able to buy European citizenship under controversial plans by Malta to sell passports for half a million pounds.
The policy will allow the super-rich from countries like Russia and China to effectively by the right to live and work anywhere in the EU.
The Home Office warns it will not tolerate ‘abuse’ of free movement rules across the EU and is working to prevent people using loopholes to enter the UK.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2521203/Malta-sell-citizenship-500-000-buyers-allowed-live-work-ANYWHERE-European-Union.html#ixzz2n4Znc3Gx
The meaning of meritocracy according to labour:
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-12-10/news/ministry-for-the-family-truly-a-family-affair-3429629955/
I am so glad I have not been fooled.
To be fair, people who spend that sort of money do not work but invest.
[Daphne – It is not necessary to presage one’s view with ‘to be fair’. It is about as convincing as ‘to be honest’.]
To be fair, you may never have been told that a) investment is work, b) that no investment is tied to the scheme, c) that residency is not required, and d) that being able to spend lots of money doesn’t make you an investor.
Ask John Dalli’s friend, Mary Swann.
There are many reasons why this scheme is unacceptable, not least as shady characters can acquire free EU movement. Personally however I think that job finding in the EU does not come into it.
I does, in principle. In practice, it provides adds fuel to the fire of anti-EU sentiment. But little tinpot Joseph on his faraway island can hardly be expected to measure the international consequences of his political decisions, can he? Oh sorry, it’s actually domestic consequences, not international, because EU affairs now fall under domestic policy, we are told. Which reminds me: where on earth is Roderick Pace?
Muscat forgot to turn up for a debate on RTK with Simon Busuttil last Sunday.
He obviously cannot tolerate those who taint Malta’s image. Not when Simon revealed no discussions whatsoever took place after that urgent meeting after ten.
We haven’t yet realised the extent of Muscat’s limits, not just incompetent or beyond his depth, he’s actually absent.
Simon Busuttil.
Not the Daily Mail! Oh dear, they will never let up.
If Muscat thinks he can get round this one, he’d better think again. This might actually mess up tourism for Malta. What a mess. What an embarrassment.
It’s 13:30 and the Times of Malta has not yet woken up to this story.
The Times, like the PBS Newsroom under Reno Bugeja, is being very “selective” in its reporting; they also missed the article in today’s Financial Times.
I stand to be corrected, but it seems they missed the PN marathon held last Sunday.
Probably they are waiting for the MLP to hold theirs first.
Not even Arriva’s. Well done. Amazing how you can come up with this information whilst others with much, much more resources just follow. And only because they have to. Keep up the good work.
What if Maltese citizens end up not being able to travel freely as we do now, and removed from the Schengen area and struck off the visa-free travel to the US list?
Would that be Busuttil’s fault too, because it was him who tainted Malta’s reputation?
Far from calming down, the international situation is escalating. As far as I know this is the first time that a foreign government has commented – albeit indirectly – about the scheme.
Perhaps David Cameron doesn’t thinks that Britain is short of people of calibre.
The “people of calibre” argument has to be the most idiotic thing Muscat has had to say in defence of this mad scheme.
“People of calibre” don’t buy their way in. They’re offered incentives or, in Malta’s case, danger money.
Those who voted Labour to try them out or for some other selfish or idiotic reason are the ones who actually tainted Malta’s reputation. I am glad I can sleep peacefully at night as my conscience is clear.
I liken this sale of passports to key money. Give the Maltese government 650,000 euros and they give you the key to the rest of the EU.
See this in the Financial Times:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/b8a2adfa-6106-11e3-b7f1-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2mzKNuUZn
The Brits will undoubtedly use this as another reason for pulling out from the EU. And I can’t blame. The union can’t exist until more regulation in several domains are established.
The Labour voters working in financial, tourism and all industries dependent on the Malta’s reputation must be elated at this bad publicity they’ve helped bring about with their poor electoral choices.
We are doing well, thank you very much. Everything is going in the right direction.
Enjoy.
Kemm huma klieb lil tal-PN – marru ikixfuna ma l-Inglizi wkoll issa?
“Tal-PN are printing the Daily Mail at the Stamperija.”
Wonder what will happen now once Joseph gets scolded by his BFF David Cameron?
What utter fools and incompetents not to have seen this coming and to have fallen hook line and sinker for Henley & Something. But then again they have applied meritocracy in reverse order and surrounded themselves with ignoramuses. They reap what they sow and deserve what they get.