The Migration Advisory Committee revealed in March that under the government’s “investor” scheme, established under Labour, 948 millionaires have been granted British citizenship since 2008, including 433 Russians, 419 Chinese and 96 from the US.
The price of citizenship is £1 million paid into government gilts. No people smuggling involved, no human trafficking, no fear of being a stateless passport-less migrant, no threat of deportation, just straightforward prostitution of the visa access system for the super-rich.
The MAC is proposing further revenue raising proposals, including raising the price to £2.5 million.
For all the serious concern and debate about sovereignty, immigration, emigration, what constitutes a nation, its history and its future, British capitalism tops all the responses. Forget about language or skills. Nationality is reduced to a class question: Do you have enough money to be part of the elite? ■