The government of the island nation of Cyprus has revoked the citizenship of 232 people. Those affected had obtained this unlawfully or illegally, for example through financial donations. According to the newspaper “Phileleftheros”, the checks are still ongoing.
The scandal erupted in 2020 when a TV station recorded the then speaker of parliament with a hidden camera and broadcast the post. The politician expressed his willingness to grant Cypriot citizenship to a Chinese man who had been sentenced to several years in prison in his home country for money laundering. After the release of these recordings, both the speaker of parliament and another member of parliament resigned.
A control committee was then set up. It showed that between 2007 and 2020, more than 7,000 people had obtained citizenship, including 3,517 individuals and 3,810 of their close relatives. A large number were “illegal naturalizations,” it said.
2.5 million euros flowed
Applicants had to invest at least 2.4 million euros for the ‘golden document’, which, among other things, gives them freedom to travel within the EU. Cyprus is one of the favorite destinations, especially for wealthy people from Russia and China, both as a holiday destination and as a financial center.
The EU is already taking action against the controversial practice of issuing golden visas. In Cyprus, this was discontinued in November 2020. A golden visa is an immigration program that allows high net worth individuals to obtain residency or even citizenship through the purchase of real estate or through a large donation or investment. The requirements of the countries are different.
The EU Commission mainly sees risks in the areas of security, money laundering, tax evasion and corruption. Checks in Cyprus are still ongoing, the newspaper Phileleftheros reported on Wednesday, citing the government in Nicosia.
Source: Krone
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