In nine years, 431 Russians brought 278 million to Portugal
Investment from Russia, captured by the “gold” visa program, totals more than 277.8 million euros in nine years. The amount comes from 431 citizens of that country who, since 2012, have used this mechanism to obtain a residence permit in Portugal.
This Thursday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santos Silva, guaranteed that the Government will sanction being included in the list of any Russian citizen of the European Union. To JN, the president of the Transparency and Integrity association, Susana Coroado, applauds the decision.
“More than retaliation, this is a fundamental measure because it cuts the financial and legal protection that the oligarchs who support the regime have”, says Susana Coroado. Many “shell companies”, which operate “with the authority” of European and national authorities, and which “feed the power” of Governments such as the Russian, they explain.
Asked whether Roman Abramovich, the owner of the English club Chelsea who recently managed to become a Portuguese national, could be sanctioned, Susana Coroado admits that this will happen, “depending on the will” of the authorities. She recalls that, in the United Kingdom, the origin of the tycoon’s fortune has already been questioned “for several months” by political parties, in particular Labour.
About the possible support that the data to answer can help in the Portuguese economy, Susana Coroado does not have data to answer. “You don’t know, because it never has the positive impact of golden visas. This Friday, BE asked the Government about what kind of determination will be considered.
Since 2012, the ‘gold’ visa program has raised more than six billion euros from 10,348 foreign citizens. Russia is the fifth country with the highest number of “gold” visas, behind China, Brazil, Turkey and South Africa.