The scheme lets people become citizens after paying, buying or renting property of a certain value, and donating to charity.

The European Court of Justice ordered Malta to close its “golden passport” program, the one of the last of its kind in Europe that allows wealthy people to buy EU citizenship, even after the small island country suspended the program for citizens of Russia and Belarus.

Malta’s controversial “golden passport” program, which granted citizenship to wealthy foreigners in exchange for hefty investments, has been struck down by the European Union’s top court. In a ruling on Tuesday,