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A total of 28,045 people acquired citizenship in Malta from 2013 until 2024.
The Minister of Home Affairs in Malta, Byron Camilleri, provided details concerning the issue in response to a parliamentary question, Schengen.News reports.
In 2024, up to this point, Malta granted citizenship to a total of 2,795 compared to 2,652 granted in 2023, according to a report from the Malta Independent.
The most significant number of citizenships granted by Malta was in 2018, 3,610 and in 2017, 3,186.
According to the figures from Malta’s Home Affairs Ministry, the most notable increase was noted in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 or, more specifically, 902, 949 and 2,125.
The same source also reveals that an increase of over 1,000 individuals was registered between 2016 and 2017, with a total of 3,186 citizenships granted in 2017.
Acquiring Citizenship Through Different Options
Individuals interested in acquiring citizenship in Malta can do so through various options, among them the following ones: citizenship through descendants, naturalisation and the Individual Investor Programme (MIIP).
Malta permits foreigners to obtain citizenship through descent under the Maltese Citizenship Act (Chapter 188). This option can benefit persons who have Maltese ancestry.
Under the Maltese Citizenship Act, criteria and legal framework for obtaining citizenship by descent, including other routes, such as naturalisation and marriage, are outlined.
Another famous option for acquiring citizenship in Malta is through the Golden Passport Program.
This option permits wealthy foreign nationals to acquire citizenship by making a financial contribution to this country and meeting the needed conditions.
However, the scheme was often in the spotlight for its involvement in irregular affairs such as money laundering and corruption, and therefore, it was urged to be terminated.
Risk of Golden Passport Programs Coming Back
In October this year, Eka Rostomashvili of the advocacy group Transparency International said that a ruling in favour of Malta’s Golden Passport program could encourage other countries within the bloc to relaunch or revive their citizenship-by-investment programs.
According to Rostomashvili, the potential revival of the citizenship-by-investment programs could undermine the anti-corruption attempts that have been taken so far by the authorities in EU countries.
“We see a really big risk of other golden passport schemes coming back. So, EU citizenship can once again become up for grabs by those who can afford it and seriously undermine global anti-corruption efforts.” Eka Rostomashvili of the advocacy group Transparency International
These comments followed the EU Advocate General Michael Collins’s comments that EU countries have the right to sell citizenship through the Golden Passport Program, provided they take steps to preserve their integrity through rigorous diligence.
Source: https://schengen.news/over-28000-persons-obtained-maltese-citizenship-within-12-years/
