I refer to the letter by James McIntosh (August 2) in which he refers to the broken promise for a Gozitan office to handle e-ID cards.

The situation is, I believe, far worse than he suggests.

Late last year, advertisements were placed in newspapers outlining the new arrangements for the registration of EU citizens residing in Malta, together with the issue of e-ID cards.

These arrangements were to begin last January and concluded by March 31. Subsequently, the director of the Department for Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs within the Foreign Ministry, gave further details in reply to readers’ queries and reaffirmed contact details.

From then on everything seemed to have gone awry. Telephone calls remained unanswered, e-mails were ignored and stories of long queues and inadequate and cramped conditions were regularly featured in the press.

Strangely enough the director failed to respond to any of the complaints that flooded the press.

It is clear that the whole system was in shambles.

When the new government took office, the responsibility for the issue of residency documents was transferred to the Home Office and we were promised that new arrangements would be forthcoming.

However, five months after the election there has been no publicity whatsoever.

It’s as if the authorities have given up while leaving many resident EU citizens in limbo.

May I appeal to the relevant minister to get this matter sorted out as soon as possible.