European Parliament blasts Malta's decision to sell EU citizenship

[webfact]

European Parliament blasts Malta's decision to sell EU citizenship

STRASBOURG, France - Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg adopted a resolution criticizing the decision of Malta to sell passports to the foreigners. They noted that Valletta is going to sell EU citizenship, which means that all 28 EU members must agree to that.

The price of Maltese passport for non-EU citizen will be 650,000 euros. Apparently Malta does not require that the buyers neither reside on the island, nor own real estate there.

"A citizen of Malta can move freely across the EU, so the decision affects all member-countries" - said Liberal MEP Jan Mulder from the Netherlands.

The idea to replenish its coffers with sale of citizenship is not new. Citizenship is offer to the owners of large bank accounts in Cyprus and Austria, permanent residency can be bought in Portugal, Greece, Belgium and Hungary.

Portuguese MEP "Green" Rui Tavares questioned the morality of this business, "EU countries are vying with each other for wealthy foreigners, we sell not only visas, but what is priceless - nationality. Europe has decided not to allow the poor in, but it opened its borders to those who have a lot of money. "

Observers suggest that the citizen of Malta will be purchased by 200-300 people a year, mostly - the Russians and Chinese. The Maltese authorities insist that applicants for passports will undergo a rigorous legal check. The proceeds will go to the Malta's national development fund.

Source: http://www.eturbonews.com/41804/european-parliament-blasts-maltas-decision-sell-eu-citizenship

-- eTN 2014-01-17

[focus27]

As the Portuguese MEP says in the article, other EU countries also sell their passports to the wealthy. Why pick on Malta? Because it is small?

Admittedly, other countries do stipulate either the purchase of a property or some residential requirements. Passports for sale used to be the preserve of places such as Dominica but everyone's at it now!

[Gulfsailor]

So if a nationality is a tradable commodity, I should be allowed to sell my EU nationality. I think I will put it on eBay. Bidding starts at Euro 500,000...

[Chicog]

Good for them. Britain seems quite happy to dish them out to the subcontinent for nothing.

[poisonus]

All countries to sell passports to non-EU citizens should be instantly removed from the EU and all their citizens deported from all EU countries and face EU sanctions...... That will stop it straight away.

[Costas2008]

poisonus, on 17 Jan 2014 - 14:29, said:

All countries to sell passports to non-EU citizens should be instantly removed from the EU and all their citizens deported from all EU countries and face EU sanctions...... That will stop it straight away.

You should reiterate more............and all the foreigners living in our countries to be deported.....and all religions except ours to be banned........and all people that are not the same colour as us to be deported also.

Definitely you would have got the admiration of many TV members.........not mine anyway.

[gerry123]

Go Malta great idea maybe Thailand could do the same

[MJP]

Can I sell my EU citizenship for 650,000 Euros please?

One in, one out and all that.

[Baerboxer]

Another demonstration of the one rule for the masses, and a special one for the wealthy!

It's a global phenomenon. Wealth means you get treated as a special case by countries and their laws now.

Red Bull kid - never come to court, no attempt to get him back

Thaksin - convicted criminal fugitive, with outstanding warrants - "welcome to the US sir"

All about the money now. Justice, fairness, equality, morality, ethics - forget it, show me the money.

Russians and Chinese - with large amounts of cash? Just the sort of quality entrepreneurial citizens EU wants. Maybe they'll buy a football club too,

[Chicog]

And become a stateless citizen? Good luck with that.

[Card]

So if a nationality is a tradable commodity, I should be allowed to sell my EU nationality. I think I will put it on eBay. Bidding starts at Euro 500,000...

Make that 1,000,000 and I'll take it. But I can only accept cash.

Edited January 17, 2014 by Card

[Suradit69]

Good for them. Britain seems quite happy to dish them out to the subcontinent for nothing.

For nothing? Some people might have a different take on British exploitation, aka colonialism. And not only those from the "subcontinent."

The “drain of wealth” from India to Britain during the two centuries of colonial rule was very real, very substantial and there are strong reasons to believe that India may have looked significantly different (and far better) economically and socially had it not been for the two centuries of British rule.

http://satyameva-jayate.org/2006/02/04/economic-exploitation-drain-of-wealth/

The harmful effect of the British colonialism and economic exploitation of India was the Drain of Wealth. It means the flow of wealth from India to England without adequate economic or material return.

http://www.preservearticles.com/2012010720132/essay-on-the-british-colonialism-and-economic-exploitation-of-india.html

[Steely Dan]

It's not for Malta to sell what the E.U bureaucrats in their ivory towers give for free, and in large numbers. It's funny how some view Malta's actions with distaste, yet they are afflicted by more than their fair share of culture enrichers, yet nobody mentions it or does squat to help them and indeed the European court blocks their attempts to send some back from where they came from.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/malta/10192458/EU-immigration-Malta-is-the-smallest-state-and-we-are-carrying-a-burden-that-is-much-bigger-than-any-other-country.html

MOHAMMED ABDI, an asylum seeker from Somalia, counts himself to have made two new sets of friends this month. One is the "generous" people of Malta, who took him and 102 other African migrants in after their boat got into difficulties as it trafficked them towards Europe from Libya.

The other is the European Court of Human Rights, which stopped Malta's not-so-generous prime minister, Joseph Muscat, from flying them back to Libya after claiming the island could not cope with more illegal immigrants.

Edited January 17, 2014 by Steely Dan

[sirineou]

Go Malta great idea maybe Thailand could do the same

I think Thailand does.

[sirineou]

So if a nationality is a tradable commodity, I should be allowed to sell my EU nationality. I think I will put it on eBay. Bidding starts at Euro 500,000...

Make that 1,000,000 and I'll take it. But I can only accept cash.

With the proceeds you can purchase Maltese nationality and still make a profit

[Ulic]

So will Thaksin qualify for an extra passport, or would he fail the background check?

[Scott]

Post and reply deleted.

[samran]

Of course the Austrians effectively sell their citizenship but no one says boo.

[Chicog]

Quite why are the European bloodsuckers criticising them when: "Citizenship is offer to the owners of large bank accounts in Cyprus and Austria, permanent residency can be bought in Portugal, Greece, Belgium and Hungary."?

[umbanda]

This is nothing new.....

I do not know if still in place...and how much is now...but...in 1992 US$250.000 invested in the US was the amount need it to get the residency... and....after 5 years of legal residence in the US was possible to apply for citizenship...

[sirineou]

This is nothing new.....

I do not know if still in place...and how much is now...but...in 1992 US$250.000 invested in the US was the amount need it to get the residency... and....after 5 years of legal residence in the US was possible to apply for citizenship...

f still in place...and how much is now...but...in 1992 US$250.000 invested in the US was the amount need it to get the residency... and....after 5 years of legal residence in the US was possible to apply for citizenship...

Up to 10,000 visas may be authorized each fiscal year for eligible entrepreneurs.

You must invest $1,000,000, or at least $500,000 in a targeted employment area (high unemployment or rural area). In return, USCIS may grant conditional permanent residence to the individual.

For more information, see Section 203( (5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and 8 CFR 204.6.

The difference is that this is a policy that is applied equally through the USA, I am sure the US government would have a problem is let's say , Alabama started offering Alabama citizenship that would be good through out the USA for a particular amount. with much lover standards than the federal government. (of course such thing is impossible because Immigration is a federal issue, unlike the EU )

The same applies for all the other countries in the world , The citizenship they sell is only valid in their country

Many countries in the EU offer permanent residency, not citizenship, and have restrictions for it., according to forbes magazine, most EU countries have an investment for residency policy, as do most countries in the world. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ceciliarodriguez/2013/09/29/want-to-live-in-europe-buy-a-residency-permit/

What Malta is proposing is different than what the other EU countries have, For 650,000 Euros you buy a Maltese passport, in essence EU citizenship,

If that becomes effective why would anyone want to invest in an other EU country, have to reside there a certain time, renew every few years, and possible after a few years be able to apply for citizenship, when all they have to do is go to Malta and for 650.000 Euros, ( much lower amount that most other EU countries require) simply purchase a passport and with it go to any other country in the EU?

This of course is a Non starter, unless all the other European countries are willing to drop their standards to those of Malta, or forget about their, Investment for residency programs because no one in their right mind will choose theirs over Maltas.

Edited January 18, 2014 by sirineou

[Richard W]

If that becomes effective why would anyone want to invest in an other EU country, have to reside there a certain time, renew every few years, and possible after a few years be able to apply for citizenship, when all they have to do is go to Malta and for 650.000 Euros, ( much lower amount that most other EU countries require) simply purchase a passport and with it go to any other country in the EU?

With the investment schemes, one still has one's investment. The €650,000 will be lost to the purchaser.

[sirineou]

If that becomes effective why would anyone want to invest in an other EU country, have to reside there a certain time, renew every few years, and possible after a few years be able to apply for citizenship, when all they have to do is go to Malta and for 650.000 Euros, ( much lower amount that most other EU countries require) simply purchase a passport and with it go to any other country in the EU?

With the investment schemes, one still has one's investment. The €650,000 will be lost to the purchaser.

Good point

still I never liked Malted beer

Edited January 19, 2014 by sirineou