Has Yanukovych “bought” his British visa yet?
Stefan Lemieszewski
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10660376/850-Chinese-millionaires-and-Russian-oligarchs-have-bought-British-visa.html
Telegraph
25Feb2014
850 Chinese millionaires and Russian oligarchs have 'bought' British visa
Chairman of the Home Office’s Migration Advisory Committee says the government has been “giving away” visas to some of the world’s wealthiest people
More than 850 Russian oligarchs and Chinese millionaires have won the right to live in Britain in the last five years under a scheme which has little benefit for British citizens, official government advisers have disclosed.
Professor Sir David Metcalf, chairman of the Home Office’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), said the government had effectively been “giving away” visas to some of the world’s wealthiest people.
A report by the committee revealed 433 Russian millionaires have come to this country since 2008 under an “investor” visa scheme which allows successful applicants to live in Britain in return for a minimum £1 million investment in government gilts - effectively a loan - but does not grant them a UK passport.
Another 419 super-wealthy Chinese used the scheme. The third largest group was US citizens, who made just 96 applications over the five years.
Prof Metcalf said: “The present system, it seems, is designed to minimise the gains to UK residents and maximise the gains to the migrants.
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