Prime Minister of Great Britain Theresa May approved the list of six Russian oligarchs, who will be checked by law enforcement and financial authorities, reports The Telegraph.
Owner of Chelsea F.C. Roman Abramovich, former president of ‘Rusala’ Oleg Deripaska, founder of USM Holdings Alisher Usmanov, Arkady and Boris Rotenberg and head of ‘Rosneft’ Igor Sechin will fall under sanctions in the United Kingdom. The last three names are already under sanctions in the U.S. and the EU.
London believes that these businessmen are close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and serve as Kremlin’s 'wallets'.
The British authorities intend to withdraw visas from Russian billionaires, check the origin of their assets and the legality of the acquisition of real estate. London plans to ask the US and the EU to conduct similar checks.
Since December 7, the UK has suspended the issuance of investor visas (category Tier 1) for Russians. The authorities explain this with measures to fight the laundering of "dirty" money.
Investment visa was issued for a contribution in the amount of 2 million pounds to the British economy. It allowed wealthy Russians under a simplified procedure to obtain a permanent residence permit in Albion, and subsequently a British passport.
The issuance of investor visas will be resumed in 2019, but applicants will need to report on the origin of their capital.
Measures taken against the oligarchs are a response to the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury with the use of Novichok nerve agent. London considers this incident as a use of chemical weapons on their territory by Russia.
