The European Commission is now investigating why Maltese passports are worth €650,000. The EC said that it is possible Malta and Cyprus governments may face legal sanction. Cyprus passports amount to €3 million.

According to experts, Malta “on Sale” allows anybody with enough money to get a new citizenship without proper examination. They said that any person with a criminal record, regardless how vile, can earn citizenship even if background checks are done.

The EC is concerned about criminals getting a “golden ticket” from Malta to travel anywhere in Europe to conduct illicit activities. Regardless of security emplacements, criminals will have free ability to roam on European soil to use workarounds in going to different places.

In response to this particular action by the EC, Maltese President George Abela said that the government will postpone the implementation of the citizenship sale.

The “on sale” citizenships did not require anybody to have a residency or investment status. Maltese nationalists opposed the law because of their own security concerns and due to the fact that the government will publish the names of those who purchased their citizenships.

According to Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, the citizenship sale was made as part of an effort to ease the country’s deficit by bringing in €30 million yearly.

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