Citizenship for investment schemes are raising concerns

Governments in North America and Europe are beginning to look more closely at citizenship for investment schemes, after a small but growing number of incidents have raised concerns about who passports are being issued to.

Although much of the media have confused the illegal issue of diplomatic or regular passports with those provided under legal citizenship by investment programmes that many nations operate, it is clear that the whole question of being able, in one or another way, to offer citizenship without a residence requirement is coming under increasing international scrutiny, with the real danger being that ordinary citizens may come to face blanket requirements for visas where none previously existed.

Citizenship for investment schemes, of which there are globally very many on offer, provide passports in