EU wants to end golden passport schemes, targets Russians
Associated PressBRUSSELS — The European Commission recommended Monday that EU nations end golden passport schemes that allow wealthy people to buy their way into the bloc’s citizenship, and urged them to assess whether Russian oligarchs linked to the Kremlin or who support the war in Ukraine should be stripped of citizenship rights previously granted. The European Commission launched infringement procedures against Cyprus and Malta in 2020 about their golden passports schemes, and the Russian war in Ukraine has put an increased focused on the topic. We consider that the sale of citizenship through ‘golden passports’ is illegal under EU law and poses serious risks to our security,” said Didier Reynders, the Commissioner for Justice and Consumers. In addition to its call “to immediately repeal any existing investor citizenship schemes,” the commission also urged EU countries to conduct strict checks before issuing any residence permit for investors.
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