European Commission advises EU nations to abolish golden passports for Russia, Belarus citizens

The European Commission has recommended that EU member states consider the possibility of revoking European passports, which were previously provided for investments to citizens of Russia and Belarus on the sanctions lists, Report informs, citing foreign media that a representative of the EC told a briefing in Brussels.

"To eliminate the risks, the European Commission is also recommending today that the EU member states assess whether there is a need to withdraw decisions on the citizenship of Russians and Belarusians, which were made under the `golden passports’ scheme, if they are on the sanctions lists," she said.

There are fears in Europe that Russians and Belarusians who have been sanctioned or "providing obvious support" for a special operation in Ukraine may have previously obtained citizenship or privileged access to the EU, including freedom of movement in the Schengen area, under the "golden passports" scheme.

In the adopted recommendation, the European Commission also recommended that member states immediately abolish all existing citizenship-by-investment schemes ("golden passports") and ensure strict controls to examine the associated risks.