It would be difficult to find a reasonable and valid justification for the Prime Minister’s refusal to launch an independent investigation into the visa and residence permits issued by the Maltese authorities.
When the leader of the Opposition demanded such an investigation, the Prime Minister said that once all the other procedures were concluded, he would take all measures, including the holding of an inquiry.
Why wait? A thorough inquiry will not obstruct any ongoing court case. Waiting and delaying are wrong.
Analysing Eurostat’s statistics on valid residence permits in Malta, one would find that, at the end of last year, these numbered 13,798, compared to 4,967 in 2010. There was a 53 per cent increase in residence permits at the end of 2014 over a year earlier.
This newspaper was approached by readers saying they received letters from Identity Malta and the Employment and Training Corporation regarding residence, visa and employment permit applications when they had made no such submissions.
About five weeks ago, a former treasurer of the Labour Party was arraigned and charged with involvement in a visa and residence scam. Also, a foreigner was found guilty of possession of a forged lease agreement that was used in dealing with the Maltese authorities.
Investigations by the police have indicated that at least 50 foreigners had given an identical address as their place of residence when applyings for official documents, be that an identity card, a visa or a residence permit.
To exacerbate matters, the owner of the residence whose address was listed in the applications is claiming she is a victim herself and that her property was used without her knowledge and consent.
All this indicates that all is not well and that there could be a network or networks that possibly have ‘internal’ support within certain institutions.
It would be very difficult for an individual to single-handedly manage such numbers since several offices and institutions are involved.
Which means the request for an independent investigation is justified, reasonable and appropriate.
First and foremost this is an issue of national security. People who seek an entry visa or a residence permit in an illegal manner do so only because they cannot obtain it legally. Being so keen to obtain it and willing to pay good money to get one would usually indicate bad intentions.
Moreover, this is a matter of decency. Both the sale of Maltese citizenship and the recently-announced residents permit scheme have been presented in terms of welcome investment in the country.
One of the major investment attractions is the goodwill and trust the country enjoys. It took the country many years to shed off the maverick reputation it had and gain the respect it now enjoys.
The investment we should seek is that generated by trust in Malta and its institutions and not because people manage to purchase something in a illegal manner. Visa and residence permit holders should add value to the country’s reputation and not detract from it.
The first step should be an honest stocktake of the situation. This is why there is sense in the call for an independent investigation into the visas and residents permits issued during the last years.
Such investigation should be truly independent and well-resourced to get to the bottom of the matter. It should also make recommendations on how to address any shortcomings and propose measures strengthening the system against abuse.
There is no justification in delaying doing the right thing.