The 2000 Maltese Citizenship Act limits naturalisation to children and descendents of those who somehow are, were, or became Maltese citizens. Without that connection, migrants can only naturalise if the government, under total discretion, decides they are eligible based on humanitarian grounds. In such cases, migrants and stateless people must have lived legally in Malta for five years. The conditions for acquisition allow authorities to assess whether the few migrants who qualify for Maltese citizenship have an ‘adequate' knowledge of English or Maltese, a ‘good character', and would be ‘a suitable citizen of Malta'. The high degree of discretion means that naturalised citizens are insecure in their new nationality. Their application can be rejected or their nationality withdrawn on many grounds. The state can usually expel a naturalised migrant no matter how long they have held a Maltese passport and even if they would be left stateless. The few who naturalise are allowed to be dual nationals.
