The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Cyprus has published the latest statistics on the so-called “golden passport” program (Cyprus Investment Program, CIP), which at one time attracted the attention of the whole world.
According to official data, 7,329 foreign citizens who took advantage of this scheme were granted Cypriot citizenship.
Of the total number of new citizens, 3,522 people became holders of a Cypriot passport as investors, and another 3,807 received it as members of their families. This program, which operated for several years, allowed wealthy foreigners to obtain Cypriot citizenship in exchange for significant financial investments in the country's economy.
Following the termination of the program, the Cypriot authorities began a large-scale audit of all previously issued passports. According to the Ministry, 373 people have already lost their citizenship, including 103 investors and 270 members of their families.
The procedure for revoking citizenship has been completed for 116 people (35 investors and 81 relatives), and the corresponding decrees on deprivation of citizenship have already entered into force.
In addition, another 26 investors are currently under investigation as authorities are considering revoking their Cypriot citizenship due to irregularities identified during paperwork or non-compliance with investment conditions.
The published data was provided at the request of the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Internal Affairs, Aristos Damianou, on behalf of all members of the committee. The document, signed by Interior Ministry Director General Elikos Ilias, contains a detailed report on the progress of checks and the number of passports issued and revoked.
Source: in-cyprus.philenews.com
