“Mr Muscat has refused to reveal the details of the contract with the UK firm saying that to do so would expose confidential business information. This refusal has led some in Malta to suspect corruption.”

workpermit.com, which describes itself as the world’s most popular immigration advice site, reports on the concerns surrounding Malta’s plans to sell passports.

See below.

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Security risk

Unsurprisingly, there is considerable disquiet, both among opposition MPs in the Maltese parliament, and in Brussels, that the Maltese scheme may pose a security risk unless the security checks are sufficiently stringent. There are concerns that this may not be the case.

The main ground for concern at present is that the scheme was devised by the Maltese government with the assistance of a London based consultancy. The London firm will also manage the scheme and stands to make at least £60m if the scheme is fully subscribed.

The firm, which we will not name here, is said to have made substantial campaign contributions to the Maltese Labour Party, Mr Muscat’s party, before he was elected in 2013. The firm denies any wrongdoing.

Confidential business information

Mr Muscat has refused to reveal the details of the contract with the UK firm saying that to do so would expose confidential business information. This refusal has led some in Malta to suspect corruption.

A further concern arises because the London firm will be allowed to market the scheme to wealthy people from outside the EU but will also be in charge of carrying out security checks on applicants. This has led some to fear that it will favour its own clients over other applicants who apply through another immigration agency or in person.

In addition, because the London firm will only be paid for its security screening if an application is successful, some fear that it may be tempted to allow applicants to pass the security check even if there are legitimate grounds for concern.

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