The Opposition has presented a motion in parliament for the repeal of regulations covering the Individual Investor Programme, better known as the citizenship scheme.

The motion says the regulations do not make specific reference to the clause in the agreement with the EU that applicants must live in Malta 'effectively' for one year. Nor do the regulations specify that dependants of applicants, who would also receive Maltese passports, have to similarly live here for an effective period of one year.

Furthermore, the regulations empowered Henley and Partners to receive full payment for applications and to retain such funds for the duration of the due diligence period, which could be up to two years.

The Opposition protested that the regulations empowered the Minister of Home Affairs to grant citizenship to persons who had a criminal record  or were a threat to national security. 

The regulations did not specify that the list of persons who were granted a passport under this scheme should be published separately from those granted citizenship through marriage or naturalisation.

In a reaction, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the regulations had been studied and approved by the European Union and the Opposition was now going against what the EU had approved.

The Opposition, the ministry said, was now isolated in its opposition to a programme which would yield €1 billion to the country.