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Comment by jane_is_here | Hacker News Reader

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jane_is_here·

Good way for Greece to make some money.

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but Greece and Malta are two different actors :O

I think what jane_is_here was trying to say is this:

Malta is essentially selling EU-wide* permanent residency permits and is making mad money out of it. Greece is in dire need of money, and is also entitled to the issuing of EU-wide permanent residency permits, so it makes sense for Greece to follow suit.

* Technically speaking, Schengen-Area-wide.

How did this point somehow not make it into the article, is what I'd like to know.

It's only EU-wide as long as Malta is in the EU.

Which may not be for long if the EU decides it doesn't like Malta selling EU-wide residency permits.

There is no process for expelling countries from the EU, or even voluntarily leaving. Only route is full treaty renegotiation.

All I'm saying is, if I were a rich country, and opened my border to a small poorer country who then sold the rights to my open border to the highest bidders, I would reconsider the situation very quickly.

> Technically speaking, Schengen-Area-wide.

No, it's actually EU-wide. An EU citizenship doesn't grant automatically grants you access to the labor market of e.g. Switzerland and Norway (both Schengen but not EU) but it does to the UK and Ireland (both non-Schengen but EU).

The Schengen treaty only is about to things: No passport checks on the border and joint police work. It doesn't grant any additional residency rights for citizens.

I think rich people don't really trust the Greece government right now. And the ultra-left Syriza party would have a tough time selling citizenship to the ultra-rich.

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