This issue appeared on the agenda after calls to stop the flow of “dirty money” into the country amid the crisis around Ukraine
The UK may stop issuing investor visas (otherwise they are called “golden visas”), which wealthy Russians like to use. According to The Financial Times, this will happen within a few weeks. This issue appeared on the agenda after calls to stop the flow of “dirty money” into the country amid the crisis around Ukraine.
The main opponent of the “golden visas” is British Home Secretary Priti Patel. She believes that this program attracts persons who are engaged in laundering illegally obtained funds into the country. A number of UK government officials confirmed to The Financial Times that the issue of abolishing investor visas is indeed under discussion.
The UK Home Office recalled that they had already amended the rules for obtaining investor visas in 2015 and 2019 as part of the fight against money laundering, and did not rule out further tightening.
The British authorities began to discuss the revision of the conditions of the program for issuing “golden visas” in 2018, after the deterioration of relations with Russia against the backdrop of the poisoning of Sergei Skripal. At the same time, it was decided to check the circumstances of issuing investor visas to 700 Russian citizens in 2008-2015. According to The Financial Times, the government should publish the results of this check before April.
From September 2020 to September 2021, the UK government issued 798 golden visas, 82 of which were received by Russians and 210 by Chinese citizens.
