Foreign divorce should not be trivialised, according to the recently established group Le b’Rispett Lejn il-Ġejjieni (No with respect for the future), referring to the way it has been described as a quick fix, easily acquired on the internet.

Nationalist MP and pro-divorce campaigner Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando announced last weekend he was planning to get a divorce from the UK if the upcoming referendum resulted in a no vote.

He said his daughter studied in the UK and lived in a flat that he paid for, which meant he could easily register the property as his own residence and apply for divorce online almost immediately. The group has expressed its “serious concern” at the way the national debate was evolving in terms of divorces acquired in foreign courts, which are recognised in Malta – as are foreign judgments on other matters.

It believes their description as “quick-fix divorces, easily obtainable over the internet” offered an untruthful picture of the situation. It added the decisions of foreign courts should be recognised and not taken advantage of for campaigning purposes.

“The reality of the matter is that, for one to acquire such a divorce, one must either be a foreign citizen, married to a foreigner or would have acquired domicile in another country. Therefore, it makes no sense to argue that recognition of this divorce creates some form of discrimination, as it is, in reality, only available to those with a direct foreign link.”

Le b’Rispett Lejn il-Ġejjieni said the introduction of divorce legislation would bring with it a new form of poverty and weaken the Maltese family.

Less than two weeks before the referendum, the group appealed for a balanced debate “built on facts and free from gimmicks”.