EU citizenship 'for ?150,000'

[super jumbe]

Citizenship of the European Union that would allow non-Europeans to live and work in Britain can be bought for ?150,000, it has been reported.

A scheme in Bulgaria means applicants can obtain a passport for the country without having to live or work there, an investigation by the Daily Telegraph found.

People can deposit sufficient funds in a Bulgarian bank and brokers will help them set up a "virtual" address which is valid with immigration authorities.

The arrangement, which is legal, will then allow them to apply for European citizenship, meaning they can eventually live, work and send their children to school in the EU.

Bulgarian agents brokering the deal told the Telegraph that even people with a criminal record who have been turned down for a British passport can qualify for Bulgarian citizenship.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/eu-citizenship-150-000-085012495.html#5V1Z6qw

[GastonJ]

The government's official immigration advisers have defended proposals to auction off visas giving the right to settle in Britain to the highest bidders.
The suggestion from the home secretary's migration advisory committee was criticised by immigration lawyers for creating an "eBay culture" for permanent UK residence.
Under the proposal, overseas millionaires will be invited to bid for a limited proportion of investor or tier-one UK visas that allow holders and their families to live indefinitely in Britain.
Professor David Metcalf, the chairman of the committee, said: "Some people say isn't it awful to sell off visas? Well, it is better than giving them away, which is what we are doing now."
The proposals are being put forward in response to concerns that the existing investor visa route fails to benefit the UK and has become a cheap way for some wealthy Russian, Chinese and Middle Eastern families to settle permanently in Britain.
The existing route, known as tier one of the points-based immigration system, lets rich individuals accelerate the process of being allowed to settle in the UK by between two and five years depending on how much is invested.


UK visa sell-off plan defended by government's immigration advisers | UK news | theguardian.com

and that is different to this how?

[nara]

If they can afford ?150000, I don't see them as being a burden on the economy. Not a problem from where I'm standing.

[super jumbe]

Since when the guardian has ever got it right, more likely 150,000 rupees, imagine some one will have to work his back side to earn ?150,000, do you know for that amount of money in third world country you can open your own business, shops and make good living instead of coming to frozen country to die.

[GastonJ]

I suppose the point is - here we have a government that claims it wants to curb immigration, get out of the EU because of immigration and yet they will sell citizenship to anyone with enough money.