On June 9, the European Commission stepped up lawsuits against Malta and Cyprus in connection with their schemes of selling citizenship.
The EU's executive body began the first phase of the trial in October 2020, when it sent formal notification letters to the two countries, giving them two months to respond. At the same time, the European Commission began a check in relation to Cyprus and Malta due to the program of issuing "golden passports", which allows wealthy foreigners to acquire EU citizenship in exchange for investment.
"Golden Passports" were introduced in 2013 against the backdrop of the financial crisis, which put the country on the brink of bankruptcy. For the government of Cyprus, the program has become a necessary measure. Like a similar program in Malta, it attracted many foreign investors, since the EU passport automatically provided the holder with access to all 27 countries of the European Union at once.
On June 9, 2021, the Commission sent a reasoned opinion to Cyprus stating that the problem had not been resolved. The country has two months to inform the Commission of the measures taken in accordance with EU law or that it may be brought to justice.
Recall that the scandal around the "golden passports" began after the Al-Jazeera TV channel showed a report on the granting of Cypriot citizenship to citizens against whom criminal prosecution is under way. Malta arrested a previous government official in September for illegal passport issuance schemes.
