A consortium of NGOs and two MEPs have once again questioned the Commission about the risks associated with the granting of 'golden visas' by member states, while the European institution is due to issue a report on the matter.
Golden visas are common programmes in the EU, which enable third-country nationals to obtain a residence permit or even the nationality of a member state quickly in return for a substantial personal investment in the host country.
Twelve member states – Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom – use it.
The NGOs Transparency International and Global Witness, which had already sounded the alarm in March about the opacity of these programmes (see EUROPE 11974), estimate that golden visas have attracted €25 billion in foreign direct investment to the EU. They also highlight the risks of corruption, money laundering and conflicts of interest created by this type of programme.
Rachel Owens of Global Witness welcomed the response to the two organisations' investigation in the European Parliament (see EUROPE 12031). "We have received support that is both transparent and transnational”, she said.
Benedek Jávor (Greens/EFA, Hungary) and Ana Gomes (S&D, Portugal), who were present at the press conference, expressed their indignation at the golden visas. The ALDE Group has also taken up the subject.
Arguing that these programmes constitute a European problem, insofar as they allow access to the Schengen area, the speakers asked the Commission to take action against states that would endanger European security through their programmes.
Finally, the speakers detailed the troubled role of companies acting as intermediaries between golden visa applicants and national authorities.
These companies, represented by the Investment Migration Council (IMC), had argued their case at the end of August (see EUROPE 12080).
When asked, European Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos said: "the Commission is following this issue very, very closely". He reiterated the Commission's promise to issue guidelines before the end of 2018, in particular on the need for member states to check the "background" of persons applying for a golden visa. (Original version in French by Mathieu Solal)