Immigration Law and Legal Insights

One year after the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Commission v Malta (C-181/23), Malta’s citizenship landscape has entered a phase of legal consolidation...

This article examines Malta's Citizenship by Merit framework through the historical lens of Caravaggio's admission to the Order of St John, exploring how contribution-based citizenship has evolved from medieval orders to modern legal structures. It analyzes the legal principles underlying merit-based naturalisation and their alignment with EU law following the landmark Commission v Malta judgment.

Malta's citizenship framework has undergone a fundamental transformation in 2025, replacing its investment-based system with a merit-driven model that prioritizes genuine contribution to the nation's economic, social, and cultural development. This new approach evaluates each application individually based on the applicant's real ties to Malta and the substantive value they bring to the country, marking a shift from standardized procedures to personalized assessment of contributive belonging.