An immigration lawyer allegedly suggested a €700 payment to help “solve” an Iranian woman’s rejected application for a work and residency permit, according to a report by Times of Malta.The proposal was made in a voice note sent to the woman after Identità rejected her application on public policy grounds.“I can make you appointment with ID Malta, with a friend of mine, lawyer. You go together and he will solve it for you. If you want, bring €700, with you. I get you appointment with Identity Malta, and err, bring them and pay on the day,” lawyer Adrian Sciberras told the woman.When she questioned the payment, he said she could either pay the “fee” for the “fast-track” option or wait for her appeal. The woman ultimately declined.The case comes amid wider concerns about how applications from certain countries are handled.A ruling by the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality found that Identità had an unwritten “blanket policy” of rejecting first-time applications from so-called “high-risk” countries like Iran.Thousands of foreign workers are facing delays of up to two years for decisions on work-permit appeals.Responding to questions about the €700 payment, Sciberras said the reference to a “fast-track” option related to legitimate processes.“When referring to a ‘fast-track’ option, we mean legitimate pathways that can expedite resolution compared to prolonged appeals, which may take years to be heard.“Available legal remedies for third-country nationals vary widely; some cases can be resolved swiftly, referring to ‘fast-track’, through meetings with authorities and regularisation applications through immigration authorities, while others can be resolved through appeals at the Immigration Appeals Board (IAB), or secondary appeals through the Court of Appeal, which require much more time and can even take years,” Sciberras said.He added that at the time of the voice note, in 2022, his firm was smaller and occasionally collaborated with other professionals.“Furthermore, payment for legal services was, and still is, requested in advance. This was necessary because, on numerous occasions, work might have been carried out without the firm subsequently receiving payment,” he said.Sciberras insisted his firm operates with integrity and rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing.A spokesperson for Identità said the agency’s fees are clearly outlined.“Applications for residence permits in 2022 were submitted through an online portal, which also allowed for fees to be paid online.“In 2022, the only fast-track option offered by Identità was the Key Employee Initiative (KEI). While Identità cannot comment on fees charged by lawyers, its own fees were, and still are, clearly communicated,” the spokesperson said.What do you make of this? •