The European Commission is calling on EU Member States to put a definitive end to the practice of 'golden passports' granting EU citizenship to wealthy foreign investors.
Contested for a long time, these devices, also nicknamed "golden visas", have again been in the line of fire since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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Several states that still granted them have announced the termination or suspension of their programs.
The Maltese government announced in early March the suspension
“until further notice”
of the granting of these passports to Russians or Belarusians.
Cyprus had put an end to this type of naturalisations at the end of 2020, after the launch of an infringement procedure by the Commission against Nicosia and Valletta.
The Bulgarian Parliament, for its part, voted on Thursday legislative amendments putting an end to this practice.
Spain, Portugal and Greece have done the same with regard to residence permits.
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Brussels is now asking these states to withdraw the “golden passports” granted to personalities who are subject to sanctions in connection with the war in Ukraine.
“Some Russian or Belarusian nationals who are subject to sanctions or significantly support the war in Ukraine may have acquired European Union citizenship or privileged access to the Union, including to travel freely within the Schengen area , within the framework of these programs”,
underlines the European executive.
The number of people affected was not specified.
"Today more than ever, in the face of war, we must do everything so that Russians and Belarusians under sanctions and those who support Putin's war of aggression cannot buy their access to the EU",
insisted Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson.