Some 2,000 Maltese who lost their Australian citizenship can now reapply after the Australian Senate passed a long-awaited law on Monday.

Australian-born individuals who returned to Malta and had to formally renounce their Australian citizenship under the Australian Citizenship Act 1948, now have the possibility of obtaining Australian citizenship again. However, the Australian government has not accepted to extend this right to the children of those who lost their citizenship.

These children will have the opportunity to apply for Australian citizenship if they return to Australia with their parents.

The long process to amend this law had started in 2004. At the time, Maltese Welfare president Lawrence Dimech had presented the case on behalf of the Maltese to the Australian Senate.

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