Government publishes list of citizens naturalised last year

Here it is: Government Gazette – 31 July

Some observations:

1. Uniquely in world history, the alphabetical order is based on the given name and not the surname/family name. The purpose of this is unknown.

2. We can take it for granted that anyone with a Maltese surname is naturalised because they have a Maltese father/grandfather or Maltese husband.

3. We can also take it for granted that anybody with an obviously European name – like the Italian names – did not buy their citizenship because EU citizens are not eligible to do that.

4. Some of the people with non-Maltese surnames have Maltese blood nonetheless. I recognise a few, including Troubridge, Gray Bannerman, Legault and Hornyold Strickland.

5. This is rather a lot of naturalised Maltese citizens for a single year. The government held off publication for a year, when it usually publishes the names of naturalised citizens throughout the year, but still it seems rather a lot.

6. The government has succeeded in its aim of concealing the names and number of those who bought their citizenship among those who did not. In doing so, it has tarnished those who did not and put them under suspicion.

7. All citizens naturalised in 2014 were naturalised under Manuel Mallia’s watch. His wife is among them.