The United Arab Emirates has said it will hand out passports to investors, doctors and other foreigners with in-demand skills, in a significant break from past policy.

The aim, according to Prime Minister and Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, is to attract talent and investment into the country.

These days the economy is struggling from low oil revenues and the impact of the coronavirus crisis. Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s thinks the economy will not recover to pre-pandemic levels until 2023.

The government said those who can qualify include investors, doctors, inventors, scientists, intellectuals and artists. Their spouses and children will also benefit and all will be allowed to retain their existing nationality.

How many people will be able to claim citizenship is unclear, but there are a number of hurdles they will need to overcome.

Investors will need to own a property in the UAE, for example, while doctors and other medical specialists must be focused on a scientific discipline in demand in the UAE. Scientists are required to be actively involved in research and have at least 10 years’ experience, among other requirements. Inventors must have obtained one or more patents for their creations, while intellectuals or artists “should be pioneers in the culture and art fields” and have won international awards to prove it.

Questions remain
Individuals cannot simply apply though. Nominations can only be made via the courts of the rulers or crown princes of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, as well as via the emirates’ executive councils or the federal cabinet. It is not yet clear how the process will work in practise.

Until now, citizenship was generally only available to the wives and children of Emirati men. The children of Emirati women who had married a non-local have no automatic right to citizenship and gaining it can take years.

Such strict rules are common around the region, and there have been protests when some governments have loosened the rules. In Bahrain the pro-democracy demonstrations of 2011 included protests against the fast-tracking of citizenship to Sunnis from Jordan, Pakistan, Syria and other countries – a policy which Bahrain’s Shia majority interpreted as an attempt to dilute their position and change the fabric of the society.

Until now, the best option for resident foreigners in the UAE has been to seek a “golden visa” which lasts 10 years. In recent years, other Gulf countries have taken similar steps to provide more security to foreign residents, in an effort to attract and hold on to people with skills and capital. Saudi Arabia, for example, offers a ‘premium residency’ visa for those willing to pay a one-off fee of SR800,000 ($213,000).

The UAE government pointed out in its statement announcing its new policy that “UAE citizenship offers a wide range of benefits includes the right to establish or own commercial entities and properties, in addition to any other benefits granted by federal authorities.” However, it did not say whether that included the ability to access the generous public welfare system which provides free education, healthcare, housing loans and much more.

Source: forbes.com
Published: 30 January 2021

Move comes after UK says people with status can move to Britain and eventually settle

China has announced it will no longer recognise the passports of British national overseas citizens just hours after the UK launched its scheme to give passport holders a path to residency as political freedoms decline in Hong Kong.

“From 31 January, China will no longer recognise the so-called BNO passport as a travel document and ID document, and reserves the right to take further actions,” the foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, told reporters, according to AFP.

It was still unclear whether or not the decision would affect the possibly tens of thousands of people who had been planning to leave Hong Kong since the scheme was announced last summer in response to national security legislation.

Hong Kong citizens and foreign residents are not required to show a passport when they depart Hong Kong international airport, instead using a smartcard ID.

Hong Kong’s web of nationalities may further complicate the matter as not all citizens hold Chinese passports, although all Hongkongers with historic familial ties to the mainland are considered Chinese citizens by Beijing. Hundreds of thousands of people, chief among them 300,000 Canadians and 100,000 Australians, are also dual citizens in addition to the city’s nearly 3 million BNO citizens.

This weekend, the BNO citizens will be able to begin applying to take their families to the UK when an immigration scheme goes online on Sunday in Hong Kong, followed by a smartphone app on 23 February.

On Friday, the British prime minister hailed the scheme, which offers a route to British citizenship, saying it honoured the UK’s commitment to its former citizens.

“I am immensely proud that we have brought in this new route for Hong Kong BNOs to live, work and make their home in our country,” Boris Johnson said. “In doing so we have honoured our profound ties of history and friendship with the people of Hong Kong, and we have stood up for freedom and autonomy – values both the UK and Hong Kong hold dear.”Under the scheme, the UK estimates nearly 3 million Hongkongers and their dependents will be eligible to move to Britain for five years and apply for full citizenship.

The BNO scheme was first announced in July as controversial national security legislation imposed by Beijing went into effect in Hong Kong, sharply curtailing political freedoms.It was soon followed by a wave of arrests of dozens of pro-democracy activists and politicians, including well-known names such as Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow and the media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who has been charged under the new security law.

China says the path to citizenship is a violation of international law and interferes with its internal affairs.

The Hong Kong dissident Lam Wing-kee, who moved to Taiwan in 2019 and reopened his bookstore Causeway Bay Books last year, told the Guardian he thought the scheme would be of great use to young people, including those who had already moved to Taiwan.

“Taiwan is still influenced by China. They worry whether Taiwan is safe. So people in their 20s, many want a life, and they want work, my thinking is they would rather go to the UK than Taiwan,” he said.

Between January and November 2020, the number of Hong Kong residents in Taiwan grew by 85% according to Taiwan’s mainland affairs council, from about 5,000 to 9,500. While Taiwan is a democracy, Beijing’s Communist party considers the island part of its sovereignty territory and operates covert influence campaigns there.

The UK has said it was unclear how many BNO holders would make use of the scheme due to Covid-19. Applications for the visas open on Sunday followed by a digital version via smartphone app on 23 February.

The Home Office estimates, however, that between 123,000 and 153,700 Hongkongers and their families will use the scheme in the first year and up to 322,400 over the next five years, bringing in between £2.4bn and £2.9bn to the UK by 2025.

Michael Mo, a district councillor in the Tuen Mun area of Hong Kong, was concerned that Hongkongers faced potential risks applying in person at the UK’s two visa application centres, one of which is in the pro-Beijing North Point district on Hong Kong Island, and the other nearby in Quarry Bay.

“Consider the visa centre has no diplomatic immunity and the [Beijing]-backed national security office is just two subway stops away,” he said. “How could applicants feel safe getting there?”

With restrictions on public gatherings limited due to Covid regulations, he said Hongkongers may have difficulty queueing outside the office and might prefer to wait until the app was ready in February.

Since 2014’s “umbrella revolution”, thousands of ordinary Hongkongers have faced prosecution for their political activities, with a sharp increase following 2019’s wave of democracy protests. In the most recent case this week a 74-year-old activist, Koo Sze-yiu, received a four-month prison sentence on Thursday for desecrating the Hong Kong flag, according to the public broadcaster RTHK.

Hong Kong’s political prosecutions and security legislation have been scrutinised at home and abroad. The new security law also violates the 1984 Sino-British joint declaration between China and Hong Kong, the UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said last Friday.

The agreement laid out the terms for Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 after 150 years of colonial rule. Under an arrangement known as “one country, two systems” Hong Kong was promised semi-autonomy until 2047 and a level of political freedom not known on the mainland, but many believe that arrangement is largely over as Beijing continues to tighten the screws.

In addition to a crackdown on political dissent, more hardline mainland officials have recently arrived in Hong Kong, signalling more changes in the near future. Arrivals include a new anti-corruption chief, Shi Kehui, announced this week, and Xia Baolong, the new head of the Hong Kong and Macau affairs office installed last February, who is best known for demolishing underground churches elsewhere in China.

On Friday the Foreign Office said: “We are disappointed but not surprised by the Chinese decision not to recognise British national overseas passports.

“Despite China’s announcement, BNOs and their families will be able to use documentation other than BNO passports to take up this visa. People with BNO status now have a choice to come and live, work and study in the UK. We look forward to welcoming those who wish to settle here.”

Source: theguardian.com
Published: 29 January 2021

The Commonwealth of Dominica, an island of 72,000 in the East Caribbean region, is well on track to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda set by the United Nations in 2015. At the core of the agenda are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that call all countries to take action for a more developed and equal world. Dominica’s government has prioritised the SDGs for several years and recognised that ending poverty must go together with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth while tackling climate change and preserving oceans and forests. The country’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme has been a crucial element in funding many of the projects that make reaching the targets possible.

Some of the major contributions of the CBI Programme to the SDGs include (1) No poverty, (3) Good health and well-being, (4) Quality education, (6) Clean water and sanitation, (7) Affordable and clean energy, (8) Decent work and economic growth, (9) Industry, innovation and infrastructure, (11) Sustainable cities and communities, (12) Responsible consumption and production, (13) Climate action, (16) Peace, justice and strong institutions and (17) Partnerships for the goals. A 2019 PricewaterhouseCoopers report highlighted these CBI contributions towards the targets:

In line with SDG goals (1) & (8), CBI impact on Dominica’s economy is estimated to increase GDP by around EC$150 million and tax receipts by around EC$30 million in the upcoming years. Additionally, CBI expenditure is forecasted to have had a significant long-term impact on the economic potential of the island;

(3) three hospitals and six health centres were repaired after Hurricane Maria in 2017 with CBI funds, and 16 Dominican children were sent overseas for complex medical treatment;

(4) fifteen schools were repaired through CBI;

(6) CBI funded an investment of over EC$175 million in water sources over the period 2015- 2019. CBIP funds have also been used to dredge rivers in 11 different locations, an essential part of mitigating the risks of future flooding;

(7), (11) & (12) EC$6 million allocated to the construction of a 7MW geothermal power plant in keeping with the Government’s vision to become the first climate-resilient country in the world. This plant is projected to make Dominica self-reliant on energy;

(8) CBI’s contribution to the National Employment Programme funded 3,896 intern placements across the public and private sector over the 2013-2019 period. CBI’s funding of hotels and eco-lodges created over 1,000 jobs during construction, providing direct employment for approximately 900 hospitality workers, and supporting the livelihoods of those connected with tourism;

(9) CBI funding has resulted in the rehabilitation of 15 sections of damaged roads and 19 bridges. CBI also supported the construction of hurricane-resilient homes for 6,680 households;

(11) & (13) most new infrastructure carried about by CBI follows a ‘build back better’ strategy to ensure durability against extreme natural disasters;

(16) all the investments through the CBI Programme go through rigorous multi-tiered due diligence;

(17) CBI projects like the Marigot Hospital have encouraged more international partnerships with countries like China.

Regarding the country’s sustainable development, Dominica’s Prime Minister, Dr the Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, said, “We’ve decided to focus on building a resilient nation [and] we’ve been using a significant portion of our CBI proceeds to help us build that resilient nation.”

“[The environment] is really all we have as a world to ensure the sustainability of our people, [the] livelihoods of our jobs and our own very survival…. It’s [a] hand-in-glove arrangement with regards to our efforts to build in a resilient nation and sustainable development,” he added.

Dominica has been offering its Citizenship by Investment Programme since 1993, making it one of the oldest citizenship programmes around. Investors may qualify for citizenship through a contribution to the government fund or investment in real estate. After a vetting process, successful applicants receive full rights to live and work in the country and visa-free access to 75 percent of the globe.

Source: prnewswire.com
Published: 14 January 2021

The Trump administration lost in federal court and, after four years, companies and foreign-born scientists and engineers finally won. That is the surprising end to the Trump administration’s efforts to increase denials for H-1B petitions. While policies remain that could bedevil companies, the latest available data show H-1B denial rates plummeted near the end of FY 2020 after the Trump administration was forced to abandon policies that caused the denials to skyrocket.

H-1B visas have become vital, as noted here, because they generally represent the only practical way for high-skilled foreign nationals, including international students, to work long-term in the United States and be given the opportunity to become employment-based immigrants and U.S. citizens. Immigrants and visa holders have driven much of America’s technology engine over the past 30 years. The visas play a significant role in America’s ability to innovate at a time when elected officials want companies to develop and produce more products and services in the United States, according to analysts.

None of this mattered to Trump administration officials, who preferred to prevent foreign-born individuals—no matter their skill level—from coming to America. Eventually, judges said the Trump administration had to stop its most damaging H-1B policies.

“Losses in federal court cases that declared administration actions to be unlawful forced Trump officials to change restrictive immigration policies and resulted in dramatic improvements in H-1B denial rates for companies,” according to a new analysis by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP). The numbers tell the story.

“The denial rate for new H-1B petitions for initial employment was 1.5% in the fourth quarter of FY 2020, much lower than the denial rate of 21% through the first three quarters of FY 2020,” according to the analysis. “The Trump administration managed to carry out what judges determined to be unlawful policies for nearly four years. Those policies resulted in high denial rates for H-1B petitions for initial employment of 24% in FY 2018, 21% in FY 2019 and 13% in FY 2020, compared to 6% in FY 2015. The FY 2020 denial rate would have been much higher without the recent court rulings.”

H-1B petitions for “initial” employment are primarily for new employment, typically a case that would count against the H-1B annual limit, notes the analysis. The denial rate for H-1B petitions for initial employment was 1.5% in the fourth quarter of FY 2020, much lower than the 15% denial rate in the fourth quarter of FY 2019. Employers do not like to waste money, which means, given the expense of attorneys and government fees, one would expect denial rates to be low because companies only want to submit applications for people likely to qualify.

However, if the government changes policies in dramatic or unexpected ways, as happened under the Trump administration, high denial rates for H-1B petitions could occur. Between FY 2010 and FY 2015, the denial rates for H-1B petitions for initial employment were between 5% to 8%, much lower than during the Trump administration.

Individual company data show the significant impact of the Trump administration being required to change its policies. “Ten of the top 25 employers of new H-1B visa holders had denial rates that ranged from 23% to 58% during first three quarters of FY 2020, but their denial rates for H-1B petitions for initial employment dropped to between 1% to 4% in the fourth quarter of FY 2020,” according to the NFAP analysis, which is based on data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) H-1B Employer Data Hub.

Interviews with attorneys confirmed that H-1B cases for their clients decided in the fourth quarter of FY 2020 had low denial rates. Dagmar Butte of Parker Butte and Lane said she observed both a much lower rate of denials and fewer Requests for Evidence (RFEs).

Note that the fourth quarter of FY 2020 began on July 1, 2020. It was on June 17, 2020, that USCIS was compelled to issue a new policy memo and withdraw a February 2018 memo that affected third-party placements. That happened after USCIS lost a court case and agreed to a settlement with the business group ITServe Alliance. USCIS also rescinded the “Neufeld” memo. Although the Neufeld memo was issued in January 2010, Trump officials used it much more than the Obama administration to deny H-1B petitions in situations where an H-1B visa holder would work at a customer’s location.

“The memos and their interpretation were blamed for much higher denial rates for H-1B petitions, particularly for information technology (IT) services companies. Data on H-1B denials in the fourth quarter of FY 2020 revealed the impact of the rescission of the two memos,” according to the NFAP analysis. “Another factor in the decline in the denial rate: In 2020, judges also more frequently ruled against restrictive interpretations of whether a position met the definition of an H-1B specialty occupation.”

Vic Goel, managing partner of Goel & Anderson, said the lower denial rates could be seen in the fourth quarter of FY 2020 and have continued into the first quarter of FY 2021. “Following the decision and settlement in the ITServe Alliance case that caused the rescission of the 2010 and 2018 memos, H-1B approval rates improved substantially,” he said.

Companies hope the Biden administration’s policies on H-1B visas will resemble those of the Obama administration rather than the policies under Donald Trump that resulted in such a high number of denials of H-1B petitions.

Source: forbes.com
Published: 28 January 2021

Executive orders will end travel ban and expand census as new president seeks path to citizenship for undocumented migrants

Hours after being sworn in as president, Joe Biden reversed several Donald Trump immigration policies by executive action, marking a stark change in tone from the previous four years of anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions.

The president had a slate of immigration actions planned for his first day in office, including the unveiling of an immigration reform bill, which provides a pathway to citizenship for undocumented people.

On Wednesday at the White House, Biden used executive actions to roll back Trump’s attempt to exclude undocumented people from the census, end his travel ban, roll back his policy that eliminated deportation priorities and ended an emergency declaration the former president used to divert funds to the wall on the US-Mexico border.

Biden also issued a presidential memo to underline the administration’s support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) program, which allows people who were brought to the US as children without legal documents to temporarily get work visas and be protected from deportation. Trump ended Daca in 2017, but the decision was embroiled in legal challenges and eventually rejected by the supreme court.

In another memo, Biden extended a program that protected roughly 4,000 Liberians in the US who hold a protected immigration status known as Deferred Enforced Departure (DED).

Leaders of some of the nation’s most prominent immigration advocacy groups celebrated the Biden administration’s first actions on the issue. The deputy director of the National Immigration Law Center, Kamal Essaheb, said: “Today marks a new day for our country.”

Among the measures Biden signed Wednesday was an executive order which reverses an order Trump signed five days after he took office that dramatically expanded interior immigration law enforcement by no longer prioritizing the deportation of criminals. The Trump order effectively made any of the 10.5 million undocumented people in the US a deportation priority – including families, longtime residents and Dreamers – those protected by Daca.

Biden also ended the travel ban, which Trump announced in his first week in office, by executive action. Biden’s action instructs the state department to restart visa processing for the affected countries and to develop a proposal to remedy harms caused by the bans, including those who had visas denied. It also allows for increased screening and vetting of travelers through information sharing with foreign governments.

In a call with reporters on Tuesday, the incoming administration emphasized its plans to address the root causes of migration, including by sending aid to the Central American countries where the climate crisis, violence, corruption and poverty have driven an increase in family immigration.

Jake Sullivan, Biden’s incoming national security adviser, said: “The Biden administration is going to have a very different approach to regional migration than what we’ve seen over the last four years, with a special emphasis rooted in years of the president-elect’s commitment to addressing the root causes of migration in the region.”

Separately, the officials said, Biden will send an immigration bill to Congress on Wednesday, after taking office.

The US Citizenship Act of 2021 would allow undocumented immigrants to apply for temporary legal status, and give them the ability to apply for green cards after five years if they pass background checks and pay their taxes. Dreamers, temporary protected status (TPS) holders and immigrant farm workers who meet specific requirements would be eligible for green cards immediately under the legislation. After three years, these green card holders could apply for citizenship.

Most Americans support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, two-thirds of whom have lived in the US for more than 10 years. A New York Times/Siena College poll in September showed 68% of voters supported a pathway to citizenship.

To deter people from rushing to the border, applicants must be physically present in the US on or before 1 January 2021. The legislation would, however, allow the homeland security secretary to waive the presence requirement for those deported since Trump took office and had been in the US three years prior.

The act would also change immigration laws to use the word “noncitizen” instead of “alien”, increase the number of diversity visas from 55,000 to 80,000 and eliminate the three- and 10-year bans that prevent people from re-entering the US if they have left the country after being there illegally, among other actions.

The executive director of the advocacy group United We Dream, Greisa Martinez Rosas, called it the “most progressive immigration bill in history” and said activists would work to ensure the bill was not simply a message, but something that was acted on.

Comprehensive immigration reform has been elusive for decades. The last significant attempt in 2013 failed in the Republican-controlled House.

To pass the legislation, Biden would probably have to persuade 60 senators, including at least 10 Republicans, to support the bill.

Susan Rice, who will lead the White House domestic policy council, said: “President Biden’s legislation will modernize our immigration system and prioritize keeping families together, growing our economy responsibly and effectively managing the border with smart investments, addressing the root causes of migration from Central America, and ensuring that the US remains a refuge for those fleeing persecution.”

The Biden administration also plans to build back up US asylum and refugee programs, but cautioned it could take months to address Trump administration changes to the systems.

Biden administration officials said future immigration executive actions would include plans to address the migrant protection protocols (MPP), better known as Remain in Mexico, which require asylum seekers to await their court hearings in Mexican border towns and not in the US, as before. They would also address the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) bar on asylum seekers and refugees under an order called Title 42. More executive actions on immigration are expected on 29 January.

On Tuesday, asylum seekers at the border released a video message for Biden asking his administration to end Title 42, MPP and improve access to asylum. The open letter said: “We would like you to know there are thousands of families in danger and who have been waiting for over a year at the border.”

Source: theguardian.com
Published: 21 January 2021

IMC Education and Training (IMCET) is the division within the Investment Migration Council specifically developed to design and implement online e-learning course materials, which lead to globally recognised qualifications within this vibrant IM sector.

The first such course available and accessible to all globally has been very well received over the past 18 months and has served to provide practitioners, with quality materials to enhance their existing technical knowledge and competencies.

This successful training has already led to over 100 graduates and, notably, certificate attainment has doubled over the last six months of 2020. This is indicative of the benefits gained from providing a global, standardised education and training framework, which hitherto was very much needed within the IM ecosystem and many more IM providers are now on board with the IMCET mindset.

View the educational training via the link: Certification in Investment Migration.

In recent months, IMCET has collated and evaluated all course feedback from a cross section of participants. View students’ stories via the link: each and every comment, where the clear indicators identified a desire for development of the current course, to enable those who are struggling to upskill their sector knowledge, as a consequence of managing very busy work schedules. This difficulty has been addressed by IMCET’s launching of a new flexible study format, including bitesize modules, providing a new framework for the Certification, which should better-serve those professionals with competing demands on their time.

The Certification in Investment Migration’s new training model will be split into 7 individual modules. Undoubtedly, the original 5 modules constituting the Certification have proven popular amongst professionals, in particular AML, KYC and CDD. Cognisant of this, the IMCET has sought to keep the existing topics, whilst also initiating the development of new materials. Over the summer months of 2020 there have been 2 NEW topics, written and prepared by experts in the field, namely Demand for Residence and Citizenship by Investment and CRS in Investment Migration, both of which will be introduced to the portfolio.

The Certification in Investment Migration is still being offered as a qualification and can still be purchased as a package. However, we are also introducing a variation, whereby modules will be offered individually, and one can choose which topics to register for from the below list, then purchase and study these over a longer period of time.

1. Citizenship and Residence by Investment
2. Ethics, Conduct and Professional Standards in Investment Migration
3. Anti-Money Laundering and Financial Crime Prevention
4. Investor Migration – Know your Customer and Customer Due Diligence
5. Personal Data: Management and Protection
6. Demand for Residence and Citizenship by Investment
7. CRS in Investment Migration

3 Modules will be compulsory; however, 2 modules are to be chosen from the remaining 4 elective ones. As soon as a student completes a total of 5 modules, whether purchased as a package or individually, these will be converted into the designation Cert (IM) and he/she will then be considered a certified IM practitioner.

Each module consists of an e-learning option, with interactive activities, PDF documents and essential reading recommendations. This will all be delivered on the Learning Management System, a platform which has been very popular amongst students, with each module expected to take approximately 5 hours in total study time.

Following completion of each module, a 20-minute test will be carried out consisting of 20 questions. These micro-learning opportunities and ultimate flexibility not only make it easier for busy practitioners to achieve a certification, but also provides them with the perfect tool to upskill their employees by giving them the opportunity to get the much-needed training, without the need to invest and commit to lengthy, time-consuming courses.

Even though IMCET is focusing on offering this new study format, it highly recommends that all those who have already completed the Certification in Investment Migration, should explore the idea of registering for the new bitesize modules. The training portfolio shall continue to develop and grow with new material, which will examine topics related to different areas of the sector, thus ensuring continuous personal development opportunities.

For those of you who are interested in registering please contact: imcet@investmentmigration.org

The IMC continues to honour its commitment towards enhancing the sector’s standards. This new study framework is one example of how it is creating an even more solid ground for further professionalisation within the sector. Clearly there is a pressing need to demonstrate that IM can self-regulate in an appropriate and professionally skilled manner, in order to achieve increased credibility and transparency from within. The IMC is facilitating the standardisation of the IM community through
an invaluable education and training programme and encourages you to take advantage of the opportunities it has made available.

Source: imidaily.com
Published: 18 January 2021

President Nicos Anastasiades believes there are “orchestrated attempts to tarnish” him after the chief editor of a leading newspaper said he was forced to resign after claiming the Cypriot leader’s family law office benefitted immensely from the ‘golden passports’ scheme.

Veteran journalist Andreas Paraschos, Managing Editor of the weekly Cyprus edition of Kathimerini since 2008, quit on Wednesday after the publishers demanded a retraction of his column.

Paraschos alleged in his column that during an evening of merriment in Athens, the President had privately claimed his firm earned €300 mln [a year] and these funds were shipped to the Seychelles on private flights.

Although published in the print edition, the column was taken down from the Kathimerini Cyprus website.

The former editor later said that his only regret was writing “a year” and that he did not specify that the conversation took place in front of former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, and that political party leaders in Cyprus were aware.

The Cyprus News Agency said it contacted Tsipras who refuted such a conversation ever taking place.

However, in his resignation letter, published by daily Politis, Paraschos continued with the allegations, referring to “a country where the President of the Republic declares that his law office in Limassol secured 57 passports, but wonders ‘Where is this unethical?’”

“In the summer of 2017 [the President] said he would investigate and respond to my information that his office had produced by then 253 ‘golden passports’, but I never got a reply.

“In the same country where when asked about the Al Jazeera revelations, the President said ‘everyone would go to hell’.”

Passports for cash

The cash-for-passports scheme, officially known as the ‘Citizenship by Investment Scheme’, was halted in November after a documentary exposé by broadcaster Al Jazeera last summer named and shamed the Speaker of the Cypriot parliament and a leading MP for their alleged roles in assisting a fake fugitive from China benefit from the passports scheme.

Both resigned and sparked a public outcry aimed at politicians from all ideological backgrounds who have tolerated corruption, culminating with the “sale” of Cyprus citizenship.

The scheme contributed up to €9.7 bln in direct and indirect contributions since 2013 and came under fire from international media and the EU after Cyprus granted passports to financial fugitives. In October, it rescinded 7 of these passports.

Heavy criticism at home and abroad, said Cyprus was not stringent enough in its vetting process.

The CIS programme, the darling of accountants, lawyers and property developers, required an investment, mainly property, of at least €2-2.5 mln plus tax.

Investors also had to pay a €150,000 application fee to the state with the money earmarked for low-cost housing and innovation.

An ‘economic impact assessment’ of the CIS programme, conducted by advisory firm EY, showed that throughout the programme a mere 6% (about €567 mln) of foreign investments in Cyprus ended up in state coffers in fees and taxes, and a further 2% (€211 mln) in the national pension fund.

More than two-thirds of the investment funds lined the pockets of property developers, who were on the brink of bankruptcy.

In a statement on Thursday, President Anastasiades said his tolerance of media criticism has been misunderstood by some who, “with malicious and false publications or rumours consider they offer a good service to the country and the people.”

He said he has been “following with sadness the orchestrated attempts to tarnish my name through rumours or false reports.”

Anastasiades called on his “journalist friend Andreas Paraschos to either substantiate all the unfounded (information) in his recent column or to admit that he was the victim of misinformation.”

The Cyprus Journalists’ Union was not lenient on the country’s chief executive saying he should disassociate himself from “the final depressing outcome of this whole incident.”

It fully supported Paraschos, calling it a blow to freedom of the press and the forced resignation of a journalist.

It added that Kathimerini’s publishers “proceeded with an apology” on Paraschos’ behalf and in his absence.

“This whole event has wounded the freedom of expression and the free press in our country.

Sad, worrying, and dangerous

“This whole event is sad, worrying, and dangerous. It leaves exposed the publishers-employers and in particular the presidential environment.”

“When public opinion screams about the corruption exposed by foreign media, the Cypriot journalists cannot stay silent. But journalists, too, are judged,” the union said.

The newspaper said its publisher and legal counsel had asked Paraschos about proving these allegations against the President, to which they said he hadn’t, but that “someone had told him”.

This, the publishers said, “left the newspaper and himself legally and ethically exposed,” and added that “if he had sufficient proof about the allegation, the newspaper and its management would fully support him.”

They also added that “we have not received any intervention from others” and the newspaper “is obliged to have proof, when it exposes scandals and not just based on hearsay.”

 
Source: financialmirror.com
Published: 15 January 2021

The committee of inquiry looking into the citizenship-by-investment (CBI) scheme will finally open to the media as of next week, it was announced on Thursday.

In a statement, the committee said it had intended for the media to be present from the outset, but due to the coronavirus situation this was not possible.

The hearings will be taking on the ground floor of the former Filoxenia hotel, in the Jean Monnet auditorium.

On Tuesday, January 19, media people will be allowed inside for the first time.

A maximum of 15 media persons will be given passes. Once proceedings get underway, no photography or recording is permitted.

The state broadcaster alone will be given a few minutes to record footage before proceedings start. The CyBC will then distribute the footage to other channels.

Testifying before the panel next Tuesday will be former finance minister Harris Georgiades. He will be followed by Archbishop Chrysostomos.

President Nicos Anastasiades will be appearing on subsequent dates, to be determined.

Source: cyprus-mail.com
Published: 14 January 2021

The committee of inquiry looking into the citizenship-by-investment (CBI) scheme will finally open to the media as of next week, it was announced on Thursday.

In a statement, the committee said it had intended for the media to be present from the outset, but due to the coronavirus situation this was not possible.

The hearings will be taking on the ground floor of the former Filoxenia hotel, in the Jean Monnet auditorium.

On Tuesday, January 19, media people will be allowed inside for the first time.

A maximum of 15 media persons will be given passes. Once proceedings get underway, no photography or recording is permitted.

The state broadcaster alone will be given a few minutes to record footage before proceedings start. The CyBC will then distribute the footage to other channels.

Testifying before the panel next Tuesday will be former finance minister Harris Georgiades. He will be followed by Archbishop Chrysostomos.

President Nicos Anastasiades will be appearing on subsequent dates, to be determined.

Source: cyprus-mail.com
Published: 14 January 2021

We are delighted to announce that IMC Education and Training has now launched a new flexible study format.

The highly successful Certification in Investment Migration continues to evolve and respond to the demands of our students. Today we are now also offering the opportunity to register and purchase modules  from the certification individually providing even more flexibility to the learning journey.

Additionally, we have also added two NEW modules, written by experts in the field, which adds to the continuous personal development opportunities already available.

This new training model does not only contribute towards enhancing the participants’ knowledge in the sector through micro-learning elements, but also provides the opportunity to convert a total of 5 individual Modules of choice, as per below, into the designation Cert (IM) becoming a certified IM practitioner.

May we also remind you that IMC Members are entitled to a 10% discount when purchasing an IMCET product.

For more information, please contact us on imcet@investmentmigration.org