In the run-up to the United Kingdom imposing visa restrictions on travelers holding Dominican passport, a report shows that the island made several attempts to revoke citizenships it granted to applicants under its Citizenship by Investment program (CBI). According to the report by Investment Migration Insider (IMI) these revocations were done
because the applicants had hidden “material facts” when they originally applied for a Dominican passport.
“Several Dubai-based CBI agents with whom IMI has been in touch say Dominica has issued at least 25 letters stating that it plans to revoke citizenship because of the applicants having concealed ‘material facts’ in their original applications,” the report said.
It went on to say one of these concealed material facts was the failure of the applicants to mention in the original application that a UK visa was denied in the past.
“In one particular letter Dominica claims the applicants neglected to mention in the original application that he/she has been denied a UK visitor visa in the past,” the report stated.
In at least one case, the applicant’s CBI advisor had advised the client to withhold this information. It is unknown how these applications went through given that Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit has vowed that Dominica has the most proactive and robust due diligence processes which vet anyone who wants to attain a Dominican passport.
“This vetting process is multi-layered and handled by top-rated due diligence agencies based in the UK and the USA,” he said following the announcement of the new visa regime.
But it appears the British government did not see it that way with Home Secretary, Suella Braverman saying careful consideration of Dominica’s CBI program showed “clear and evident abuse of the scheme, including the granting of citizenship to individuals known to pose a risk to the UK.”
The IMI report stated that sources revealed after a meeting with the UK and prime ministers of five countries in the Caribbean with CBI programs, there was a flurry of reviews into cases of “concealment of material facts.”
“Ongoing conversation between the UK Home Office – which has said it was actively scrutinizing the programs – are also likely to play a part,” the report shows.
“One agent said the Dominica government had only recently learned – from UK authorities- that some of the individuals to whom they had granted citizenship had been previously rejected for visas to the UK.”
It also said Dominica is reportedly reviewing “large numbers of existing applications for similar concealment and other Caribbean programs are likely to engage in the same exercise.”
On its website, Investment Migration Insider describes itself as “the investment migration industry’s newspaper of reference and its leading professional platform.”
“We help investment migration professionals stay informed, connect with each other, and make more money,” the company website states.
the cat is out of the bag:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/11/golden-passports-dominica-citizenship-by-investment-cbi-scheme?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
Dominica due diligence is a joke. Dominica citizenship was used by an English tax fraudster called Amber Louise Murphy to cheat the UK Public Revenue and the HMRC: https://pdfhost.io/v/c7v29cs6._Amber_Louise_Murphy_HMRC_tax_report
She obtained citizenship using forged documents and a false residential address, nobody checked her tax compliance or verified her submissions in any way!
Here is a desperate ruler trying to make light of the devastating consequences the traveling restrictions the UK government has imposed on Dominicans.
DNO, you have claimed to be the leading local online news outlet. Why don’t you give an unbiased assessment as to the real and possible consequences that the UK’s decision would have on the people and government of Dominica?
I have reiterated this ad nauseam. The news media has the most powerful influence on society. It can bring about positive changes that many potent opposition political parties and politicians are incapable of doing. Why do you remain so deafeningly silent on this particular issue and many more of profound national interest?
What is your real purpose of existence ? I don’t wish for you to be biased. There are many out there who need enlightenment on issues that profoundly affect their daily lives. Come on man. Bring the objective facts to the people. Your silence gives consent to corruption.
Ad nauseam, media is the plural form of medium.
Ok now lets talk. This is our reaction to the punishment. they sent our agents lists of people that were not supposed to get. they ignored those list because is money they was watching and they didnt want to embarrass themselves by revoking the passport, hence compromising the CBI program. (imagine paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for a citizenship only to have it revoked. How does that affect the credibility of your program? They had rather chase the money and embarrass Dominica instead. Now we are facing 2 embarrassments, no visa free entry to the UK and all your STILL have to revoke the passport and give those people their money back. All you see how the leaders we have elected thinking? All of this is not something that is a surprise to them. They knew what they were doing was wrong and still played bad. Now we have to go like little children and clean up our mess in shame. Well I glad. Because who cannot hear will feel. Just a pity that i also have to pay for their majee
To hell with the UK. We love our PM. The West is falling. The East is rising. We still have China and Russia and they provide visa free entry for Dominican citizens. So when one door closes, another open. Thank you to our lovely PM we getting housing all over Dominica, our China Friendship Hospital, our roads and highways are built, our international airport is being built. Soon we will have seaports, more hotels, and factories. They vex because Dominica not depending on them. They vex because our foot in oil. They vex because we love our PM. Tell these hungry English men to will and come again. And we have our queen Baroness Scotland, head of the Commonwealth who will speak on our behalf to King Charles who is a friend of our PM so soon the ban on us Dominican will be lifted. Our PM has links you know…
Keep drinking the red koolaid
There were no answers then.
question is will this also happen soon by EU? or there is no empty promises and real due deligence will be in place.
I believe the only hope is atleast UK visa system will accept ETA of dominica citizens and second hope is EU doesn’t revoke visa waiver until their Etias is in place.
For all those individuals, especially those residing in the Diaspora who contribute “ZERO” to the islands’ economy but choose to continually bash Dominica and would rejoice at her demise, her total collapse, let me disappoint you by letting you know that the soon to be visa restrictions will not be limited only to Dominica and some of her sister islands but come 2024, will also include persons holding U S passports. This change in policy is warranted at this time to tighten security all over Europe since we are living in dangerous times.
Also, for those persons stuck on the phrase “DUE DELIGENCE”, let me inform them in case they didn’t already know that no system is perfect. Man is an imperfect being therefore anything he creates contains loopholes which can and will be exploited by individuals.
We keep talking about Dominica’s passport economy. Now is the perfect time to inject some fresh capital in the economy. Let’s see some action from the “LOUD TALKERS”.
I wonder what you contribute to the islands economy? I bet you not a cent but instead you would take plenty out, just like your superhero Skerrit. Men get out of here with your righteous talk. Those people from the diaspora can see right through you ‘Red Dimple Worshippers’.
@Mark. You are no Mark. Maybe Magdalene. Your contribution here makes no sense whatsoever. You sound very scared about this fraudulent business of the CBI. So just go away.
Yours truly the illustrious Prime Minister has no idea who or where he sold passports to. The Taliban may even hold Dominican passports and do know where Dominica is located in the world.
Anyone with the internet and a brain, and a thirst for information can dig enough to find ties to this “IMI” Site and CBI Agent Kenneth Green, Who is actually one of the columnists of said website.. AGAIN a not so hidden CLEAR CASE of the piper paying to call the tune.. A good dose of DAMAGE control.. Tsk tsk
Dominicans! My brothers and sisters! Your standard of living is only going to get worse as long as the imposter remains in the seat of the prime minister.
This imbecile is supremely unqualified to be a leader of any national endeavour. His talk, attitude, behaviour, intellectual capacity are very revealing. He is nothing more than an incurable, diseased LIAR; an ultra-selfish megalomaniac; a hyper-partisan political despot; and a certified, profound dunce.
He has created deep, moral wounds, overthrown democracy, impoverished 99% of the indigenous population while living a life of exquisite opulence from riding the soar backs of penniless taxpayers. He has an affinity with Arabs and a monumental disdain for anything local. His children are American citizens by birth. Dominica was not good enough.
Hope this comment makes the grade…
Is there anyone, and I mean anyone at the wheel of this country?
I encourage anyone who invested through the CBI to report any agent who misrepresented them during their application process to local authorities.
Report them
I encourage every client who suffered because of those issued letters and really had nothing to do with it to report to the local authorities in their country the agents who mishandled their applications and misrepresented them. I was one of those people unfortunately and the agent who calls himself (The Godfather of Dominica) DID NOT even share half of the documents I was supposed to complete to obtain the passport including D1. They were only interested in taking the money! Without any consideration to how this will effect Dominica or us!!! REPORT THEM
Me too, the agent told me the application was approved & no problem, what’s your email
It seems that yours truly the illustrious PM may have been selling passports to know terrorist and people of questionable character. That puts Dominica in a bad light in the world community, who wants to visit a terrorist sponsoring country?
Can CARICOM tolerate and afford to have to have Roosevelt Skerrit as their chairman?
Their standards are just as low as his. All cut from the same red corrupt cloth.
Roosevelt lives and operates outside the circumference of truth, integrity, honesty , rule of law and reasonableness.
This man is a perfect Liar. He has not even a molecule of morality in him. Every word that emanates from his mouth should be considered immaculate disinformation.
Roosevelt piles lie upon lie and completely obscures the truth. Don’t believe even ‘a’ or ‘the’ coming from his tainted tongue.
Gason stop that nonsense. Fact of the matter is before Skerrit Dominicans could go to the UK visa free. Because of the greed of Skerrit he and his gangsters went looking for nationalities they knew were vulnerable and wanted to run and gave our passports to them. As bad as caricom is I know it’s just a matter of time before they put some restrictions on us, thanks to Skerrit and his gangsters that are making billions from the sale of our passports. Fact is, Skerrit, his family and ministers can go to the Uk or anywhere visa free. Can you go fellow Laborites?
Real issue Dominica went towards quantity and not quality! Example of that can be looked around the world. You think that all who got naturalized are bad apples. You would be wrong! There lots who became of victims of their foreign governments, be it scientist, doctors, other professionals, who know what is the freedom of movement. However, poor due-diligence aka absence of it made this move by UK. Saddest part it was all around already a while back but nothing was done and greed prevailed. Many countries run CBI programs around the world and quite successfully, all depends what’s you final goal, get the pockets full of money or make your country better.
“It went on to say one of these concealed material facts was the failure of the applicants to mention in the original application that a UK visa was denied in the past.” An excuse! You claim dominica passports get you visa free entry. If you have a Lil bit of sense the first thing you would do is send these names to UK and other visa free destinations ask simply; Has Ali baba of Baghdad been denied entry to UK. Before the request reach, MI6 would have a response. Then citizenship denied or approved. You really think a thief is going to voluntarily tell you yes I thief all over the place when he is trying steal from the bank. The fact that this was done tells me you guys knew some folks were denied entry as a matter of fact indicated that above “CBI advisor had advised the client to withhold this information.” The CBIC “citizenship by investment Cartel” is making a few foreigners very rich and some government elites possessing unexplained wealth and they will do anything for…
Nobody want to fool a fool.Skerrit does not want to make a Jacka of you,who is already a Jacka.Skerrit never address fools.The majority of Dominicans know the UWP has not and will never support the DLP government.Free houses for the poor, UWP against.4,500 employed in the NEP,UWP against.300 employed in the Yes We Care UWP against.$300 monthly for 2,700 senior citizen UWP against.Visas put on Dominicans by Canada,UWP support.Visas put on Dominicans by the USA, UWP support.Visas put on Dominicans by the UK,StJean,Ibo,Francisco,Zandoli and UWP keep parties,rejoice and celebrate.At election time those crooks and traitors go begging for the votes of the same people they are trying to destroy.Those people are fools.
Pack it in Lin if do not want to turn into a fool from a clown. With supporters like you Skerrit does not need any enemies and trust me I do believe he has many of those already.
We cannot keep letting the British call all them shots, after all they’re not even a super power anymore, the U.S knocked them off that spot. Seriously open other doors with the BRICS nations for tourism and other business.
They are still a super power… why they have nukes, won’t you have nukes most countries won’t invade you….
But my business requires me to go through London. Going through Russia, China or Brazil won’t help.
What exactly are you and your CM planning to do about it. The phrases David and Goliath and being wrong and strong come to mind. You guys are totally delusional, you have listened to your CM for too long.
Which BRICS country you want to open tourism with? You labourites are as stupid as your leaders, selling Passports in supermarkets in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria, commonsense doh telling you something bad will happen.
Not bad, DNO! Keep it up and you will be giving your readership a more complete, and less biased, perspective of the issue.
I guess you have the better perspective. I believe the audience would be happy if you simply share it. We all want the best for our beautiful country. We are sick of the bad rap day in and day out. CBI seem to be a cash cow so the stakeholders are paying no mind to shady characters. Come as you like, wash you foot and come. Just bring the dollars. Smh.
What a joke. More questions than answers
Con:
Discovery that a person failed to comply with any of the requirements for naturalization at the time the person became a U.S. citizen renders his or her naturalization illegally procured. This applies even if the person is innocent of any willful deception or misrepresentation.[2]
B. Concealment of Material Fact or Willful Misrepresentation[3]
1. Concealment of Material Fact or Willful Misrepresentation
A person is subject to revocation of naturalization if there is deliberate deceit on the part of the person in misrepresenting or failing to disclose a material fact or facts on his or her naturalization application and subsequent examination.
In general, a person is subject to revocation of naturalization on this basis if:
The naturalized U.S. citizen misrepresented or concealed some fact;
The misrepresentation or concealment was willful;
The misrepresented or concealed fact or facts were material; and
The naturalized U.S. citizen procured citizenship as a…
Cont:
Careful observation of Roosevelt comments appears to be verbatim to the American law; and may be irrelevant to the sale of passports and cannot be applied in a legal way in Dominica; where the means of corruption is involved in the sale of Dominica’s citizenship!
“This ground of revocation includes omissions as well as affirmative misrepresentations. The misrepresentations can be oral testimony provided during the naturalization interview or can include information contained on the application submitted by the applicant. The courts determine whether the misrepresented or concealed fact or facts were material. The test for materiality is whether the misrepresentations or concealment had a tendency to affect the decision. It is not necessary that the information, if disclosed, would have precluded naturalization.
Bought citizenship is totally different from one immigrating into a country, and applying for citizenship after residing in that country for a period of five…
I don’t believe anything said here by Roosevelt Skerrit: the grounds he gave for revoking their citizenship, I doubt is tabled in any law in Dominica, nevertheless, he copied and adapted an American law which reads as follows!
“cation of naturalization on the following grounds:
A. Person Procures Naturalization Illegally
A person is subject to revocation of naturalization if he or she procured naturalization illegally. Procuring naturalization illegally simply means that the person was not eligible for naturalization in the first place. Accordingly, any eligibility requirement for naturalization that was not met can form the basis for an action to revoke the naturalization of a person. This includes the requirements of residence, physical presence, lawful admission for permanent residence, good moral character, and attachment to the U.S. Constitution.[1]
Discovery that a person failed to comply with any of the requirements for naturalization at the time the person became a…
Recall that after news broke that Dominica ambassadors, Madweke and Monfared were international fugitives from justice for crimes they had committed, the cabal used the lame excuse clothed in the expression ” due diligence “. A simple Google search would have revealed that these were fugitives from justice. Therefore what has the corrupt regime learnt over the ensuing months? Nothing!!. They continued to ply their corrupt passport selling business whilst pretending to be ignorant of associated facts which can be easily obtained. Why didn’t they and their cohorts work with the British authorities to ascertain that applicants for their “golden egg” were hiding “material facts”. I’m sure the British would have spilled the beans on those individuals. There is the saying that ignorance of the law is no excuse. The cabal is now learning that. To say they didn’t know is a lie, they didn’t want to know until they got caught with their corrupt games.
I don’t believe this!!
How many times have we been talking about stepping up our due diligence procedures?
The Dominica due diligence regime is sloppy and disregardful. Roosevelt previously boasted that Dominica has the most proactive sand robust due diligence process. Lie! What should we expect from a diseased LIAR?
He is now trying to downplay the serious consequences that many Dominican families will suffer giving lengthy explanations of no relevance.
Getting rid of this notorious liar and inept imbecile should be the greatest priority of every right thinking patriot.
All this after Skerrit claimed Dominica has the most robust screening system in the world.
Skerrit can fool his illiterate supporters but he can’t pass his foolishness by anyone with half a brain.
Corrupt politicians like gullible and ignorant followers. There are too many of these in Dominica. When these people are given the opportunity to exercise their franchise, there is no application of common sense in doing this.
The day corruption is burnt in government, Dominica will blossom lie a flower in full bloom. Rid the country of StarBoy of CORRUPTION and his Cabinet of soiled doormats.