‘We don’t want any golden passports anywhere”, Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders tells European Parliament in Strasbourg session on Monday
European Commission: ‘Eliminate golden passport schemes’
Malta must not only exclude Russians and Belarusians from purchasing Maltese passports but must completely abolish its golden passport scheme, European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders said.
In a European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg on Monday, Reynders was speaking during a debate on ending citizenship and residence by investment schemes across the EU.
“The European Commission like the European Parliament wants to eliminate these programmes. We do not want any golden passports”, Reynders said.
Reynders, who noted that the Commission has already taken steps, said “the time to ask national governments nicely is over”.
A report compiled by Dutch MEP Sophie In’t Veld (Renew) has called for gradually phasing out all citizenship-by-investment schemes by 2025.
In’t Veld’s report is understood to be supported by the majority of MEPs, which are set to take a final vote on it on Wednesday.
Speaking during the debate on Monday, Nationalist MEP David Casa called for an investigation into “those who already bought their way into Europe through the backdoor”.
Meanwhile, golden passport agency Henley & Partners has ranked Malta first in its Global Citizenship Program Index and fifth in its Global Residence Program Index.
