In Portugal, Golden Visa investors are bringing in funds but causing problems for locals.

In Lisbon on Nov. 7, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa resigned over corruption charges related to lithium contracts, and federal agents in Brazil searched the Portuguese consulate in Rio de Janeiro. In statements, Brazilian police said the searches were not related to the Lisbon investigation, but were part of a separate investigation into document fraud in collusion with applicants seeking Portuguese visas and citizenship.

Since the 1990s, during periods of economic decline and social instability, large numbers of Brazilians have left for Portugal. When the country launched the golden visa program in 2012, wealthy Brazilians were the second largest group to take advantage of it. The Portuguese golden visa grants access to the European Union to foreigners in exchange for investment.

In early October, the socialist government of Costa finally passed a law to address the problem and removed the real estate investment pathway from the golden visa program. Previously, investors who invested in qualified property worth at least 280,000 euros (about $305,000) were granted such rights. The change, which took nearly a year to make, sparked anger among global elites, many of whom saw Portugal as an opportunity to get a European passport.