Wednesday, 20th August 2008 - 12:22CET
New hope of Australian citizenship for 3,000 Maltese
The Australian government is being urged to consider legislative changes to allow citizenship to around 3,000 Maltese whose parents, although born in Australia, renounced their Australian citizenship before their children were born.
The Southern Cross Group, an international volunteer-run and independently funded advocacy and support organisation for the Australian diaspora has written to Senator Christopher Evans, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, expressing concern about this matter.
When in opposition, Labour had promised to amend the Australian Citizenship Act to make citizenship possible for this group of people.
The group is now asking the new government - elected last November - to make good on its pre-election promise.
“We have also written to all those MPs and senators who had spoken in Parliament in support of the inclusion of Maltese children in the new law when it was being enacted in 2006 and early 2007,” group co-founder Anne MacGregor told timesofmalta.com.
Ms MacGregor said the group had been informed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship that the department was preparing advice for the minister to seek his views on whether the new government wished to pursue legislative change on this issue.
“We are still hopeful that there is the political will under the new government in Canberra to make the required amendment to the Act so that approximately 3,000 children born in Malta with Australian-born parents will then have a direct route to Australian citizenship.”
Ms MacGregor said that since the new legislation came into effect on July 1 last year, all those Australian-born people in Malta who had to formally renounce their Australian citizenship before February 2000 in order to keep their Maltese citizenship as adults were able to apply to resume their Australian citizenship.
Many had done this and were now dual citizens.
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Comments
I read all the comments and had a hard time to refrain myself from posting my own especially because of the vile attack on the maltese dualcitizenship law.
I like many carry dual citizenship including maltese citizenship that I have acquired not by birth! I can assure Mr Spit. and his followers that if there was a citizenshipmeter or a maltese citizenship test they would probably fare lower than many whom they are trying to rob of their citizenship!
As far as I am concerned, the only thing that I regret is my poor knowledge of the maltese language that would lower my average... otherwise I am sure that I would score better than Mr Spiteri on the weighted average if he understands what I mean!
Every time I step in a country/place abroad, I am proud to publicise about my adopted home country and amazingly enough, in spite of my non-mediterranean sub-saharan outlook many maltese descendent always give me a warm welcome and like to hear me speak so proudly of Malta.
Yes Mr Spit... whether you want it or not we are the FreeLance Unofficial Ambassadors of Malta Worldwide...
On the other hand, millions of EU citizens have the right to reside here, although it is sure cannot also happen. So, in this context, why not?
As things stands one of the main regulator in both cases is the residential market factor. A high demand from abroad (wherever it comes from), may push prices up, which is somewhat unfair on Maltese residing here. I do not think there is disrespect in saying these things.
There is also the issue of dual citizenship in itself, and whether one agrees with it or not.
Maltese born in Malta have every right to retain their Maltese citizenship and identity whether living in Malta or not.
We maltese in Australia love our country Malta and keep our dual citizenship , because WE ARE PROUD OF BEING MALTESE. Maybe more than you are Mr Spiteri. We kept our maltese traditions and language and are always proud to say that we are maltese. Let me assure you that we know exactly what is happening in Malta because we read the Times of Malta every day on line. and most of us have been there on holidays three, four or five times. We do not think it is a pastizzi heaven. Malta is our country and whatever you say or think about us , Mr Spiteri ,we are as Maltese as you are and we have the right to live or not in Malta.
By Golly Mr. Spiteri, I may be more Maltese than you claim to be. Could it be that Maltese overseas cherish their Maltese heritage more than the Maltese in Malta? Of course we do, because we're Malta's unofficial ambassadors in our respective countries. Have a great day Mr. Spiteri
If you belive the big wigs they have it sorted.
YEAH RIGHT
Being born in a foreign country does not constiute the right for the citizenship in that country. The right comes when you live in that country for minimum of 5years. These 3,000 Maltese were born in Australia and now living in Malta, they expect to be Australians
@R. Spiteri - - Archbishop Pawl Cremona and the Maltese young people stayed with Maltese families and loved every minute of their visit and finally we are still Maltese whether we live in Balzunetta or Bondi - The most remarkable issue that Maltese from Port Said Egypt still speak Maltese and keep Maltese traditions have requested Maltese Passports but up to now il-Gvern Malta said that since there was a discontinued period in the family of not being registered as Maltese Citizenship - you cannot apply. Well I say to the Gvern these people would like to keep to their roots - His Grace Pawl Cremona understood that the Maltese have kept their roots in Australia and proud of that
I`m sure SPITERI bloke should look at the law or laws of Malta regarding aliens.
In the words of one "eminent" man, (hey how come you get called men and I get called alien),
We cannot accede to your request .
You make the laws and bend them accordingly regarding citizenship.
Pause for thought ,if it takes 20 years abroad in order not to be considered Maltese then how long in his opinion does it take to become Maltese?
I have been living in Sweden for the past 30 years, I do have Swedish citizenship and Maltese, Does my Swedish passport make me Swed? I have black/grey curly hair, dark brown eyes and more often than not misstaken for being arab, thats how maltese I am and look and proud of it, after encountering all the hardships of immigration , language barriers,and yes believe it or not rasism too , do you think I would cause or hurt the econmy if I choose to retire in my nativ country with my pension coming from Sweden ? What give you the right to consider me in my case Swed and not MALTESE.Looking forward to your comments....
We left Malta with the blessing of the government so we make room for others to have jobs and then you now come and tell us that we should not be allowed to return? Have you ever lived abroad? Have you ever felt the emptiness in your heart for your country? If not, best is to shut your mouth and stop insulting us.
I think your judgment is a little bit blurred or you did not even put a little bit of thinking in it. How can you compare a person, whose parents had to leave the island in the 1970's due to lack of work and a down spiraling political situation, with a sub-sahara person entering the country illegally. I have an Australian mother and Maltese father.
Does that make me an illegal immigrant because I decided to come and reside in my fathers native country?
Don't I have the right, Mr Rudolph Spiteri?
I think that you cannot compare my status with that of an Eritrean entering the country illegally and without documents. The country owes it to people like my parents who were courages enough to seek employment in another country instead of living of the goverment like half the population was doing in the seventies.
I hope that my comment and others below, have been clear enough to make you understand that we Australian born do not think of Malta as the disney land of pastizzi. Those programs you see on TV feature people who had no other choice but to leave the country.
"f you left your country for 20 or more years, I'm sorry but you don't have the right to be called Maltese."
No need to be sorry. It's OK. Grazzi hafna.
"We already have problems with illegal immigrants."
You are right. Illegal immigrants are your problem.
"If returned migrants start to come in and retire here, not even the land mass of Sicily will be sufficient to accommodate them."
If this were true, returned migrants would have no problems. They would simply return to Australia.
' ... then you have lost the right to vote, to work ... "
Returned migrants would normally have much better things to do.
"From the pro grammes I have seen ... "
The programmes you are referring to are invariably outdated and produced by Frankenstein.
Mr Spiteri, the issue here is in regard to " ... 3,000 children born in Malta with Australian-born parents [who] will then have a direct route to Australian citizenship.”
Contrary to what you are saying, if Ms MacGregor were successful, these children will be able to "leave" Malta, rather than stay in Malta.
You and those very few who happen to think like you are very much mistaken if you think that because I have been in Australia for 51 years I'm not still Maltese, I and those like me not only rightfully claim to be Maltese but also our children, and if I'm not mistaken their children too. From the very moment that I started to realise who, and what I was, I have never ever deviated from my heritage, and no matter what company I happen to be with I have always said that I was Maltese, and proud of it. You are also very much mistaken of what is our perception about our country of birth, because most of us visit often, we still have family there and of course we still love Malta. For your information I still read and write, speak the language fluently, and speak Maltese at home. Next time you pick a subject that you write about my advice to you is to do some research before, so as not to make a fool of yourself.
Would his lifestyle be as good as it is now if immigrants didn't help Malta through their remittances in the old difficult days of the sixties and by leaving allow for his family to have more opportunities.
Most left because they had to for economic reasons not out of choice. In case you haven't noticed, Malta joined the EU a few years ago and theoretically, over 300 million can now move to and work in Malta. Are you recommending that Malta secede from the European Union or do you want to deny overseas Maltese the same rights that British Citizens from the Falklands now have to come and live in Malta.
How many migrants will wish to return and retire in Malta these days, especially those from Canada, US and Australia? From countries rich in resources, prosperity and lovely environments to an island of concrete where remaining green areas are either polluted with trash or destroyed to make way for hideous buildings. Where low quality mass tourism is stifling the beauty of a once pristine island.
There's nothing wrong with dual citizenship, especially when they want to retain their Maltese identity. And if they want to retire here,they are far more welcome than pole dancers and poorly trained waiters/receptionists coming from Eastern Europe. We harp about the the issue of illegal immigration from Africa, and yes, it needs to be dealt. However, the real threat of low quality immigration from within Europe is being ignored.
The Maltese that left the island did the ones that remained on it a big favour, more elbow room, more jobs available, less traffic, less pollution, roomier schools, more stuff to buy in stores etc.
And that is not including the foreign currency remitted to their families in Malta.
dual citizenship is the least that is done to show respect and honour to our Maltese brothers and sisters abroad.
The real fairy tale is held by the ones the never left the island and think that the streets of lands were the Maltese LEGAL immigrants settled, were and are paved with gold.
a lot of these people do not know of the hardship, loneliness,and the discrimination , culture shock , weather shock that these Maltese immigrants had to endure.
the stay-at-home Maltese, for the most part, did not, and do not have the fortitude and drive of the ones that emigrated, and would not suffer the discomfort of immigration.
You say "If you left your country for 20 or more years, I'm sorry but you don't have the right to be called Maltese."
I can't disagree with you more. If you are born to Maltese parents then you are Maltese whether you live in Malta or Timbuktu and have every right to come back to your country and work/make a living / contribute to society. Your thinking is very primitive to say the least...
+ What has this article got to do with illegal immigrants or vote catching?! With comments such as yours, i wouldn't blame our Australian counterparts for thinking that Malta is still stuck in the 1930s/40s!!!
Put aside the illegal immigrants for a moment.
Foreigners and Ex-Pats who will retire in Malta will bring their life savings in cash to invest in the country, which is very health for the Maltese Economy and blessed by all real estate agents. They will never outnumber the youths who are leaving the our island for better future in other European States, and if one day these will come back to retire here, again with cash in hands.
However I am afraid as much as you are that be that time Malta will be an sub-Saharan nation.
I have dual citizenship both Maltese and British by virtue of the fact that my Mother was born in Malta ,to Maltese parents and grandparents. I live here with my family, I bring money into the country,I spend money in this country and I pay taxes in this country. I am proud of my Maltese heritage and am proud to be here. Is that wrong? You cannot talk about dual citizenship and illiegal immigrants in the same context.
If you left your country for 20 or more years, I'm sorry but you don't have the right to be called Maltese. We already have problems with illegal immigrants. If returned migrants start to come in and retire here, not even the land mass of Sicily will be sufficient to accommodate them.
You can't have your cake and eat it. If you were absent for a good number of years, then you have lost the right to vote, to work etc. (that's my opinion anyway) The government seems to think otherwise, but I think all this is a vote catching exercise.
From the pro grammes I have seen on Tv anyway, Australian/Maltese living in Australia seem to think that Malta is still locked in a fairy tale of Patizzi, Ghonella of the 1930s/40s/