India, Aug. 22 -- For years, several European countries used investment migration programmes to attract foreign capital. Applicants could obtain citizenship or residency by investing in property, businesses, government funds or national development projects.

That approach is changing. European institutions and national governments are placing greater emphasis on security, transparency and the idea that citizenship should reflect a genuine connection to a country. In April 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Malta's investor citizenship scheme violated EU law because citizenship could not be granted as the direct result of a commercial transaction. The judgment significantly strengthened Europe's position against s...