A European immigration consultancy has warned Nigerians against offers to purchase European Union citizenship, describing advertisements for direct citizenship schemes in some European countries as fake.
The General Manager of iWorld, Arturs Plepis, gave the warning while addressing journalists in Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday.
He noted that recent advertisements offering to sell citizenship in European countries, including Bulgaria and Slovenia, were fake.
According to him, direct citizenship was only through naturalisation.
He said, “We are not offering citizenship itself but a road to citizenship. Citizenship in the European Union can only be obtained by naturalisation.
“It’s impossible to buy citizenship in the European Union. There are a lot of advertisements offering to buy citizenship in the European Union: Bulgaria, Slovenia. It is all fake.
“It is impossible to buy citizenship in the European Union. The way we are offering is a route to citizenship. It is not the citizenship itself.”
He, however, noted that recent policies in France and Spain were favourable to investors and entrepreneurs with viable ideas in sectors including agriculture, logistics, construction, medicine, information technology and green energy.
He noted that securing residency provided an opportunity for Nigerians to relocate with their families for business, education and other opportunities.
Plepis said Nigerians could secure residency permits in France and Spain through projects developed around their educational qualifications, professional experience and business backgrounds.
Once those projects received the necessary approval of the governments of France and Spain, he said Nigerians could use the approval to apply for residency permits and subsequently establish businesses or become self-employed.
“In France, you can apply for citizenship after living there for five years. What we are offering is the opportunity to do that legally. You get residency so you have legal status in France, and you are able to stay in France and make France your country of interest.
“In Spain, the way to citizenship is longer. It takes 10 years to apply for citizenship. But it is also an opportunity to get a residency permit and, after that, permanent residency. Permanent residency gives you most of the rights. The only difference is you don’t have a passport, and you cannot vote or be voted for.
“There are various reasons people come to us to seek residency permits: business, family and the education of their children. For these reasons, we have solutions,” he said.
Also speaking, the Head of the Migration Department at Mirsatori, Maksin Nikitin, said the company helped Nigerians refine business ideas and prepare projects for potential investment in France and Spain.
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Nitikin said, “If you have a great idea to grow the country, they give you this opportunity. It doesn’t matter where you are from. They give this opportunity to everyone. It depends on your idea and whether it is interesting for the country,” Nikitin said.
“Startups like Agriculture, logistics, construction, medicine, IT, and green energy are sought for. If clients come and do not have a good background, we cannot help you.”
Nikitin said the company had assisted more than 100 clients in Nigeria, adding that trust remained a major concern in the migration business.
“We know the major issue here in Nigeria is trust issues. We give opportunities for our clients to meet face-to-face with our partners,” he said.
He added that the company helped clients review business proposals, refine their ideas and seek opportunities to establish businesses and attract investment.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of O & J Capital, Johnson Anorh, said the partnership with iWorld and Mirsatori was designed to help Nigerians explore opportunities for family relocation, investment and business expansion outside the country.
He said the company’s latest push was because recent policies of France and Spain welcomed entrepreneurs, those willing to invest in the European Union.
Anorh said, “The whole idea is that there is a law to encourage investment in these countries. Nigerians who are seeking to expand their business, opportunities, intelligent, smart Nigerians who want to go to these places should take advantage of this to create enterprises that will help these environments.
“It is not about President Tinubu and President Macron; it is about policies. The policies right now favour businessmen and entrepreneurs, and based on those policies. We create programmes to take advantage of these policies and help the home governments.
Anorh, who said he had lived in Spain for three years and conducted business there, urged Nigerians to consider opportunities in countries beyond the United States and Canada.
He boasted of huge Return on investment from doing business in Spain.
He added that Spain offered his family the opportunity to experience another language and culture while expanding their business interests.
“I chose Spain over Canada and the US because I want my children exposed to a second language, and Spanish gives you access to more than half of South America. It makes your world bigger and expands the horizon for your children,” he said.
Anorh added that Mirsatori also provided services beyond immigration, including family trusts and assistance with structuring international investments.