News

European Commission emphasises that the residence requirement in the Maltese investor citizenship scheme must be effective

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In a reply to a parliamentary question, the European Commissioner Vivian Reding stated that “The Commission expects Member States to use their prerogative to award nationality in the spirit of sincere cooperation with other Member States and the EU” and that the Commission expects that the residency requirement must be effectively implemented on the ground. She also noted that the Commission is analysing similar schemes in all Member States “to make sure that the minimum requirement of a ‘genuine link’ to the country is met”.

Read the full answer here and its reporting in Malta Today.

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Germany agrees to allow dual citizenship to a broader category of second generation immigrants.

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German Minister of Justice announced that the government has reached an agreement to amend its citizenship law to allow to the children of immigrants to retain both the nationality of their parents and a German passports. Currently they have to renounce the former upon reaching 23, or they would lose the latter. The new proposal would allow to those who have resided in the country for 8 years, or were educated there for 6 years, to retain both. The President of the Turkish Community in Germany noted however that these conditions are still too exclusive and would still force thousands of people to chose.

EUDO Citizenship Directors warn that the requirement for 8 years of residence in Germany would discourage the whole family from moving to another EU Member State, and thus would hinder the free movement of persons which is a fundamental principle of the EU law. 

Read more details in The Local.

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Crimean residents will have to apply for residence permits

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While Russia is busy handing out passports to the residents of Crimea, those who do not want to become Russian citizens will be required to apply for residence permits to remain in their homes, the Ukrainian national radio reported, quoting the Russian Federal Migration Service. Russia claims that the 2 million Crimeans will face no difficulties to receive Russian passports, but this may be tricky for those who do not want to become Russian, or do not want to lose their Ukrainian citizenship. Russia allows dual citizenship but this is an administrative offence in Ukraine.

Read more details from the Ukrainian National Radio, Moscow Today and ITAR-TASS.    

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Danish government intends to allow dual citizenship

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The Danish Minister of Justice announced Government’s intent to see the citizenship law amended to allow for dual citizenship for the widest possible circle of applicants. This comes after an inter-ministerial working group, established in 2012, suggested several possible models for toleration of dual citizenship, together with different interim arrangements. However, this is still to be decided on political level and the Government will now invite the other political parties in the Parliament to debate the question.

 

Read more details in The Copenhagen Post and The Politken (in Danish)

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Court upholds Foreign Minister’s decision to withdraw citizenship acquired ‘fraudulently’

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Malta’s highest court rejected the appeal of a woman whose Maltese citizenship was withheld after her marriage with a local man had been declared void. The court held that the decision of the authorities did not violate domestic, European or international law, even though the woman became stateless as a result of it.

Read the full story in The Times of Malta.

Read other news about citizenship in Malta.

Read news about deprivation of citizenship elsewhere.

 

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Malta: First applications for investor citizenship approved

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Only a month after the much contested investor citizenship scheme entered into force, the first applications for Maltese citizenship are already approved. This may appear surprising, as in the final version of the law, the Maltese government, under heavy European pressure, had introduced a one year residency requirement to assure that the new citizens have actual bonds to the country. Yet, the officials assert that the requirement was observed, and all of the approved applicants had been already living in the country.

Read more in the Times of Malta.

Read about the continuing domestic controversy in The Times of Malta and Malta Today.

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Undercover video shows private agents guaranteeing Bulgarian passport for € 180.000

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Undercover reporters of The Telegraph have filmed a Bulgarian businessman offering them a ‘fast track’ to a Bulgarian passport at the cost of 180,000 euro. While the newspaper emphasizes that it is not accusing him for doing anything illegal, this raises serious concerns how the state administers its investor citizenship scheme.

The company involved – Arton Capital – is a consultancy, specialised in immigrant investor programs worldwide and the agent himself – Milen Keremedchiev used be a deputy minister of foreign affairs and had other diplomatic positions.

Read the full story in The Telegraph.

Read more details in Deutsche Welle (in Bulgarian) and in Pressa Daily (in Bulgarian). 

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