Lawmaker sparks debate on citizenship for foreign residents
The majority leader floated the idea of naturalising long-term residents.
04 Aug 2019, 9:00 AM
Hassan Mohamed
MP Ali Azim sparked a polarising debate over the weekend after floating the idea of amending citizenship laws to naturalise long-term foreign residents.
“There are foreigners who have been living in the Maldives for more than 30 years having become proud grandparents here. What do you think of granting citizenship to such ‘foreigners’?” the Maldivian Democratic Party’s parliamentary group leader asked on Twitter.
The question drew more than 360 responses with widely divergent views. The contrasting opinions ranged from conditional support to strong opposition with nationalistic, xenophobic and racist overtones.
Opposition figures warned that it would threaten the homogeneity of Maldivian society.
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