AUGUST 12, 2018
Brussels is preparing to crack down on EU governments, including Malta and Cyprus, that award citizenships to rich people from outside the bloc, as concerns mount about so-called dirty money from Russia. Vera Jourova, the EU’s commissioner for justice, told the Financial Times that “citizenship for sale” schemes in eight member states will come under tougher scrutiny from Brussels as part of a wider drive against money laundering and corruption.
The EU states with “citizenship by investment” schemes include not only Malta and Cyprus, but also Austria, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Portugal.