E.U. tells Caribbean nations: Stop selling citizenship or we’ll require visas

European Union Ultimatum to Five Caribbean Nations

EU Security Concerns and the Caribbean Passport Trade

European Commission Report on 88,000 Golden Passports Sold

The European Commission has raised security concerns about the trade in golden passports and vowed to tighten visa controls after revealing that the five Caribbean states have sold citizenship to 88,000 individuals from countries including Iran, Russia, and China. A report published by the European Commission set out the scale of the trade, noting that Dominica, an island with a population of just over 70,000, has issued 34,500 passports—a figure the report claimed is more than four times the total previously disclosed by Dominica’s government. Similarly, Saint Kitts and Nevis, with a population of 48,000, has issued 36,700 passports, twice as many as estimated up to 2018. Prices for these programs start at $100,000 per head.

The announcement follows the publication of Dominica: Passports of the Caribbean, an investigation by the Guardian and other media organizations in partnership with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which examined Dominica’s citizenship by investment scheme. The sale of passports in Dominica surged after 2015 when citizens of a number of nations sought new avenues for mobility.

OECS Response and Diplomatic Mission to Brussels

Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Mission to Brussels

Leaders of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) whose countries operate a CBI program announced plans to mount a high-level mission to Brussels. In a three-page statement, the leaders of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Kitts and Nevis said they would undertake the mission at the earliest appropriate opportunity to engage directly with the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council, and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The leaders stated: “These engagements will seek to deepen mutual understanding of the unique vulnerabilities and development realities of small island developing states, to explore practical and mutually beneficial solutions to the issues identified by the European Union, and to strengthen the longstanding partnership between the European Union and the Eastern Caribbean.” Under these programs, foreign investors are granted citizenship in return for making a substantial investment in the socio-economic development of the country.

Economic Stakes and US Visa Policy Shifts

Prime Minister Gaston Browne on United States Visa Restrictions

The economic pressure on these nations extends beyond the European Union. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has said that the visa policy of the United States is undermining trade, commerce, and even our students who require a visa to study in the United States. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 51st Caribbean Community (CARICOM) summit, Browne noted, We also have individuals who like to visit their relatives in the United States, and they too are affected.

Visitor visas for citizens of Antigua and Barbuda are currently limited to a single entry and are valid for three months, replacing old rules that allowed 10-year, multiple-entry visas. Additionally, some applicants may be required to post a bond of up to US$15,000. Washington also approved new immigrant visas to Antiguans primarily driven by security concerns surrounding the country’s CBI programs. Prime Minister Browne told reporters that his country had remained hopeful that the visa policy would be a temporary measure and that it would not be extended.

Contextualizing the Global Passport Trade

The scrutiny of citizenship-by-investment schemes is part of a broader international debate regarding the sale of residency and citizenship. Some programs on offer in the EU were designed as visa schemes but included a fast track to citizenship, offering greater mobility and fewer restrictions when opening a bank account or starting a business—advantages that can be misused for illicit activities. Over the past decade, wealthy foreigners have purchased citizenship or residency in EU countries where they have no real ties, with governments often accepting payments with minimal scrutiny, exposing the EU to risks of corruption. As the OECS prepares its diplomatic response, the focus remains on whether the EU will accept the regional nations’ arguments regarding their development realities or if it will proceed with the suspension of visa-free travel for the region.