According to the investigation report, the applicants invested at least 2.5 million euros for a “golden passport” – including Russian oligarchs.
The EU island republic Cyprus has illegally issued most of the citizenships issued in recent years. This was shared by the state control authority of Cyprus on Monday with From 2007 to 2020, 3517 people and 3810 of their close relatives were granted citizenship. A very large number of them were “illegal naturalizations”. Those responsible should be held accountable, it said.
The authority published a 192-page investigation report on Monday. For the so-called “golden passport”, which grants freedom of travel in the EU, for example, the applicants had to Cyprus invest at least 2.5 million euros. The award practice had been heavily criticized in the EU.
Russian oligarchs had also acquired passports
sea of Cyprus According to President Nikos Anastasiades, the expenses for the documents totaled 9.7 billion euros – money that was urgently needed, especially because of the country’s severe financial crisis in 2013. According to media reports, among the people who received the Cypriot passport were Russian oligarchs. Their papers have already been withdrawn.
The assignment itself is not illegal. However, a report by the TV channel al-Jazira, which showed how high-ranking government officials were proceeding, triggered great outrage. This also led to the resignation of the speaker of the parliament – the report showed how he promised an interested party that he would “settle” his concerns.
(APA/dpa)