Letters | Sunday, 15 March 2009

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No reply to Schengen visa appeal

On 11 November 2008, my Moldovan partner applied for a Schengen visa to visit me in Malta. As Malta has no embassy in Moldova, my partner applied for the visa at the Maltese embassy in Moscow, Russia.
When applying at the Maltese embassy, my partner provided all the relevant documentation and papers that were required, stating the dates she wish to travelled and providing a sponsor’s name and address (i.e., mine). She also offered to provide a bank guarantee of €20,275 to ensure that she would in no way be a burden to the Maltese state for her visit to Malta.
On 15 November 2008, my partner’s application was refused without reason. She appealed to the visa unit section in Malta and has to date not received a reply to her appeal from them. I sent an e-mail to Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, in his reply he stated that my partner’s application was refused by the Immigration Police although no reason was given for the refusal. I sent more correspondence by email to Tonio Borg, and I have even tried to book an appointment to see him personally, although all my efforts have come to nothing, no further replies were sent and no appointment to see him was given.
I also contacted by email Mr Paul Demejo Albanese of the visa unit section, as well as the Police’s immigration section, and have to date not received any reply or acknowledgement of my enquiry from either of them.
In late November I asked also for the assistance of the leader of the Opposition Dr Joseph Muscat and he referred me to his secretary Mr David Bartolo. Mr Bartolo’s advice to me was to just keep contacting Paul Demajo Albanese by email or telephone in the hope of receiving a reply.
After getting nowhere with my correspondence, I contacted the Ombudsman on the 30 January. He replied and advised me to contact the immigration police again, despite my never having received a reply from them before. I was very surprised at his reply as I was expecting that as an Ombudsman, he would enquire as to why my previous correspondence was not replied too.
On 7 February, I wrote a letter to the Assistant Commissioner Andrew Seychell and I have to date not received a reply to him as well. While, I appreciate there is a problem with illegal immigration in Malta that is no reason to refuse my partner a visa to visit me considering the guarantees and surety that we were willing to provide. I would also like to highlight specifically that I believe it is a matter of human decency and good customer care to expect to receive a reply from government bodies and persons when a citizen has made an enquiry.
Finally, is it too much to ask, that in the interests of clarity and transparency, I am given a reason for any decisions taken?

Walter Muscat
Hamrun

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