The Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa, has admitted this Wednesday that his Government is currently “evaluating” the maintenance of the measure that allows foreign citizens to obtain a residence permit if, for example, they make a large real estate investment.
“There are programs that we are currently evaluating and one of them is the ‘golden visa'”, said Costa, who believes that “it has probably already fulfilled its function” and now “it is not justified”, according to statements collected by the Lusa news agency .
The debate on ‘golden’ passports or visas within the EU has grown this year, as a result of the invasion of Ukraine and the use that the Russian oligarchs would have traditionally made of a tool with which several Member States aspire to attract investments.
In March, the European Parliament demanded from the European Commission a specific plan to avoid subterfuge and, in the case of measures such as the Portuguese one, it proposed greater background checks on applicants and minimum requirements for residence and participation in the countries of destination, as well as the obligation for Member States to prepare periodic reports.
