Home Affairs Minister Manuel Malia insisted this afternoon that contrary to Opposition claims, citizenship could not be revoked by a future government unless for reasons of national security.
Reacting at a press conference to a statement issued earlier today by the Nationalist Party, he said it would be a breach of the constitutional revoke citizenship arbitrarily.
The PN said earlier today that a future PN government would revoke citizenship sold to foreigners by the government under its new scheme.
Flanked by Owen Bonnici, parliamentary secretary for justice, and Edward Zammit Lewis, parliamentary secretary for competitiveness, Dr Mallia said citizenship would only be allocated after strict due diligence.
The scheme, he said, would attract high value people and would have a multiplier effect on the economy.
The new scheme, he said, would pump millions of euro in the economy. The PN was trying to hinder its enactment because it could well harm their electoral chances.
He denied steam-rolling over the Opposition but said the government had a parliamentary majority which reflect the electoral result.
Dr Mallia said the government would not publish its full contract with Henley and Partners, who will operate the scheme, not the names of those granted citizenship, for reasons of security and privacy.
Parliamentary Secretary Zammit Lewis said the scheme, promoted in London this week, had been well received and there was very good feedback.
"We are not interested in making a quick buck," he said, but was important that Malta launched its scheme before countries such as Bulgaria and Portugal.
PN STATEMENT
The Nationalist Party insisted this afternoon that the Constitution and ordinary law allowed the government to withdraw citizenship, and a new Nationalist Government would withdraw citizenship sold to foreigners under the new government scheme.
The Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday said the government could not withdraw citizenship.
In a statement, the PN said the scheme the government had drawn up lacked transparency and was open to abuse.
It said that despite its appeals for a revision and for consensus, the government had carried on, and the prime minister was even promoting the scheme before it was approved by Parliament. This showed contempt of Parliament.
"In view of all this, the Nationalist Party warns once again that once it is returned to government, it will withdraw citizenship sold by the current government," the party said.
PL CHALLENGES PN TO SAY WHO GAVE IT LEGAL ADVICE
In a reaction, the Labour Party said the Attorney General has already said that citizenship could not be withdrawn.
It said Simon Busuttil and the PN were harming Malta through their position, and also playing into the hands of a private company- in which a Nationalist Party MP is involved - which did not win the government contract.
Once Dr Busuttil was insisting on his position, , the PN should say who had given him this advice and if he had a conflict of interest, the Labour Party said.