On April 29, 2025, the European Court of Justice determined that Malta's fast-track naturalization scheme for foreign investors is unlawful under EU regulations. The court criticized the program for treating citizenship as a commercial exchange, highlighting risks of corruption and criminal activities associated with it. The ruling mandates Malta to promptly dismantle its "golden passport" initiative, which had been under scrutiny for facilitating issues like white-collar crime. Malta expressed intent to respect the ruling while assessing its legal ramifications and adaptability to EU standards.
The European Court of Justice ruled Malta's citizenship scheme violates EU law by treating nationality as a commercial transaction, compelling the country to cease its "golden passport" program.
The court emphasized that no Member State can exchange nationality and European citizenship for predetermined payments, rendering the acquisition of nationality a commercial transaction.
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