Wednesday, 3rd December 2008 - 17:05CET

Malta calls for quicker issue of Libyan visas

Malta has drawn the attention of the Libyan authorities to the lack of reciprocity on the efficiency of issuing visas for Maltese to visit Libya, Foreign Minister Tonio Borg said.

Replying to a parliamentary question by Opposition leader Joseph Muscat, the minister said that the point was raised during the latest meeting of the Maltese-Libyan Joint Commission.

Multiple-entry visas and visas were taking a long time to be issued especially for trade purposes, in both normal and emergency situations, the minister said.

Dr Borg drew comparisons between Libya’s record and Malta’s efficiency in the issuing of visas for Libyans to visit Malta.

He said that thanks to the full cooperation of all departments involved in Malta, visas for Libyans to visit Malta took around four days under normal circumstances. Visas for Libyans to visit other Schengen countries took about the same time.

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Article © Allied Newspapers Ltd., printed on Saturday, July 4, 2009. This article is for personal use only, and should not be distributed.

Comments

Gerard Cassar (on 3/12/08)

Request for visa to visit Libya is a problem for Maltese. You phone the consular section of the Libyan embassy for a visa, they immediately advise you to apply for a visa through other channels such as through contacts in Libya otherwise waiting for the issue of a visa to visit Libya through the embassy consular office is a waste of time and disappointment. You will have to wait in a queue of requests and one might lose a business opportunity as already happened. The Maltese Government treats Libya as if it has brotherly relations, and then the Libyan authorities treat Maltese as if they come from an unknown region. This even though Malta is an E.U. member. The Government should review its relations with the Libyans. Could be that Gaddafi is not made aware of the position. That is the least that one can comment
In view of past relationship.

J Farrugia (on 3/12/08)

I suggest to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to stop issuing visas to Libyan nationals until such time as these libyans continue procrastinating in issuing us Maltese citizens Visas to visit Libya and to work in libya. I also suggest that the Ministry removes all those libyan nationals who extend their stay in Malta without a proper visa.