UK's anti-corruption policy was under scrutiny after the government failed to implement a promise to suspend the widely criticised 'golden visa' scheme. The Tier 1 investor visa, famously known as the “Golden visas” have been criticised for allowing the super-rich to buy the right to live in the UK are being suspended in a crackdown on money laundering and serious organised crime.
The visa which were introduced a decade ago to attract investment from outside the EU, including from India, have proved more popular with Russian and Chinese applicants. However on Thursday 6th, Home Office announced that it would be suspended from December 7th, as part of a 'crackdown on financial crimes'.
It read, “The Home Office has suspended the Tier 1 (Investor) route as it prepares for sweeping reforms in 2019, as part of its ongoing efforts to tackle serious organised crime and money laundering.
The immigration minister, Caroline Nokes, reportedly said in the statement: “I have been clear that we will not tolerate people who do not play by the rules and seek to abuse the system.”
However, the Guardian reported that a Home Office spokesperson on Tuesday issued a statement of less than 30 words – only on request – confirming that the promised change in policy had not been implemented.
“The Tier 1 (Investor) visa is not currently suspended, however we remain committed to reforming the route. A further announcement will be made in due course.”
In 2015 these visas were issued to 3000 people, allegedly without checking the source of the funds.
However anti-corruption campaigners, who had welcomed the original announcement that the scheme would be suspended, were enraged with this sudden 'u-turn'.
Responding to the u-turn on suspending these visas, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey attacked the Government’s immigration plans as “simply unworkable”.
Ed Davey said, “The Home Office can’t even take action on one small part of the immigration system without creating chaos and confusion. How do the Tories expect it to cope with a whole new system for millions of European workers if we leave the EU?
“The truth is that Theresa May’s plans are simply unworkable. That’s why she has refused to publish her immigration white paper for more than a year – because she knows it will expose the hollowness of her promise to ‘take back control’.
“The Liberal Democrats demand better. Now that Theresa May has delayed the meaningful vote on her Brexit deal, there’s no excuse for her not to publish the white paper beforehand, so that MPs can properly scrutinise the proposals.”
