On KXLF, Christmas Day – as reported by CNN
Published:
December 27, 2013 at 10:20am
Citizenship for sale – for $880,000
Posted: Dec 25, 2013 11:33 AM by CNN News Staff
The government of the small Mediterranean island of Malta recently announced proposals to start selling citizenship of its nation to foreigners for about $888,000.
But faced with rising criticism both in Malta and other European Union countries, the Maltese government has temporarily halted the law’s implementation and will review its requirements.
The European Parliament is to hold a debate on the scheme on 15 January 2014.
“The citizenship scheme as adopted by the Maltese Parliament in recent weeks seems to be a clear abuse of EU citizenship and Schengen rules, said European People’s Party chairman Joseph Daul.
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http://www.kxlf.com/news/citizenship-for-sale-for-880-000/
In spite of the criticism from all quarters about the selling of the Maltese citizenship, the Prime Minister Joseph Muscat keeps on digging the hole.
Who gives a damn what the international media has to say about this scandalous Malta government ploy when the two Tonys (Zahra and Zarb) endorsed it.
The third TONY, Tony l-Aspro is missing and is not putting our minds at rest this time round.
No amount of patching up is going to solve the problem. The scheme is still a sale of citizenship, now with the obligation to spend some money on Maltese real estate and bonds. The concept was wrong in the first place. Citizenship should be grounded on a proper link between the ‘polis’ and the citizen.
The perception of our EU partners is that Malta is ‘abusing’ of the EU’s four freedoms which are the heart and soul of the EU. Unless and until Muscat and his cabinet get this into their heads, we will continue being looked upon as pariahs by the other member states.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-12-27/news/minister-tight-lipped-on-price-of-arriva-take-over-3548315649/
He won’t speak, nor will they divulge any detail about their blighted land reclamation scheme.
Indeed, the adjudicating board, or whatever it will be, is another state secret.
It may sound rhetorical, but is this what we deserve? The fact they’ll even consider us aliens in our own country, a passive and malleable people, makes me sick.
You ask: is this what we deserve?
I say, unless there is a war or an economic crisis, people will vote for a reflection of themselves.
So much for Homo Sapiens!
Hi Daphne
Will the owners of the properties bought under the proposed scheme be able to hire these out?
[Daphne – Yes.]
Who is gonna buy when for a one-off 80,000 rent cheque you can satisfy the property requirement?
Not only will they be able to hire their properties but after the mandatory five years they can sell them, thus getting all their ‘investment’ back.
Same for the 150k in government bonds, from which they will receive guaranteed interest for five years and the sell them.
This means that it’s not true that the conditions have been become more expensive, if anything the 650k sale price now comes with a scheme where a good part of it can be recuperated.
Daphne what after they get their passport they decide to sell the shares and accommodation , will they lose the citizenship?
[Daphne – They can sell their shares and property after five years.]
so a potential 60 -70k over 5 years could go back out of the country.
“The government of the small Mediterranean island of Malta …”
Small we are, in size, always were and Joseph’s land reclamation will not make the dot any bigger.
But does he and his wrecking crew , by their half baked ideas, have to make us look even smaller in the eyes of the world?
To those who don’t know Tony Zahra’s nickname is “ic- CHICKEN”
Live on TVM: Joseph’s kids bored out of their minds forced to listen to their father’s mind-numbing storytelling.
It is quite obvious that if prime minister Muscat does not sell the citizenship, then Henley & Something cannot earn commissions.
No sale, no commissions.
It’s a pity that the government of Malta will be introducing the Citizenship for Sale scheme with the requirement to buy a property valued at least Eur 350,000 from 2014.
Manwel Mallia had a nice property which he could have sold to applicants at Eur 500,000 in 2012.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130723/local/ministers-failure-to-declare-assets-due-to-misunderstanding.479252
“Asked about the €500,000 in cash he declared he had, the minister said this was because he had disposed of some property he had owned.”
Sour grapes
These guys are increasing the threshold for foreign nationals to become a citizen while Malta is “selling” its ….
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/national/Canada+toughen+eligibility+requirements+citizenship/9328035/story.html
How long is long enough before you can apply for citizenship?
Permanent residents must reside in Canada for at least three of the previous four years to qualify.
Alexander said it’s time to consider increasing the threshold.
“I think the balance of considerations is in favour of a longer requirement,” he said. “There’s only one way of truly understanding what it means to be Canadian, what it means to participate in Canadian life, and that is by living here.”
Hi Daphne,
Wishing you and your family and all the people who surf your blog a healthy and prosperous new year. Keep up your wonderful work.
I am sure that people like Zahra, Manuel Mallia, and others, already know who the buyers will be.
This scheme provides for a high lucrative business which leads to smooth corruption by the same people administering it.
Dedicated to Michelle. She should show this to her children and get them on the right track and stop showing them in those silly fur coats.
http://vitaminl.tv/video/1653
In my opinion this ‘Citizenship for Sale’ is only an excuse by this Labour govt. to attack Malta’s membership in the EU.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131230/local/circus-promoters-petition-says-animals-should-stay.500819#.UsGKb8K4upo
Silvio Zammit (Tal Imqaret) major player in Dalligate, now promoting circuses in Malta. Must have got his experience in the snus saga,
Best wishes to you and your family for this festive season. Hope you have a good ending and a great 2014 :-)
Times of Malta’s on-line survey shows that 72% still oppose the amended version of the citizenship scheme. Perhaps it’s the 72% the PM did not consult.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131231/local/adult-sites-top-local-internet-search-terms.500872#.UsJ0DOy9KK0
Your are on the list!
Dear Daphne, I wish you and your family all the best for 2014.
I came across the University of Malta entry in Wikipedia. It is utterly shameful giving credit to Dom Mintoff. The complete opposite is true.
The new university campus at Tal-Qroqq was Prime Minister Borg Olivier’s brain-child. It was Mintoff who did his best to limit the university, and the student population dwindled to 700 in 1987.
It was subsequent PN governments which rapidly expanded the university with a student population of circa 14,000 today.
The student stipend system encouraged more people to pursue tertiary education. That is 1000% growth.
The rector should see to a correction to this grossly misleading entry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Malta
The link
Joseph the Magnanimous.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-12-31/news/pm-hints-at-hesitation-to-save-migrants-due-to-international-laws-3568566272/
La hrigna bid-dghajsa majtezwel hux?
Having been born in England had to work in from 1947 until 1964 before being granted Maltese citizemship. And now we get this F up
http://moneyweek.com/merryns-blog/want-to-be-an-eu-citizen-good-news-the-price-of-a-passport-is-falling-fast/