‘Greed’ blamed after Canada punishes St. Kitts and Nevis over its buy-a-passport program

st kitts passportThe Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis had harsh words for the excesses of the buy-a-passport program that got his Caribbean country on Canada’s bad list.

It was “all because one man was caught up with his greed and hubris and self-interest,” Prime Minister Tim Harris recently told his country’s parliament, as reported by the St. Kitts and Nevis Observer.

Anybody with $250,000 could buy a St. Kitts and Nevis passport without so much as visiting the island nation. The country even started selling diplomatic credentials, most notably for Iranian businessman Alizera Moghadam, who entered Canada with a diplomatic passport he claims to have purchased for $1 million.

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50 Comments

  1. udohreadyet
    December 31, 2015

    Personally I can see the benefit of this program , i also see the valid concerns by others and in the long term don’t think that this is a good strategy for the security and sovereignty of the country and its current partners in good standing. This should not be a permanent measure but a temporary one for instance the passports offered should expire withing 5 to 10 years along with the citizenship because it does not equate to citizenship by birth… which we all know we are the ancestors of those who have been there from the beginning, gone through the struggles to make the country free from the mass murders of the Carib citizens by Europeans and the mass enslavement of the black population by whites. Citizenship in this country was earned by those who carried the burden from generation to generation and should not be offered permanently to those who wish to exploit our longstanding relationships with other nations. to summize… the citenship program should be a temporary…

  2. December 31, 2015

    The advance countries do it but mark you they don’t do it like the smaller ones do it.They don’t do it like we do. One has some millions to invest and wants to invest it in their country.They will give you their passport but it dose not end there. You’ve gotta open up shop, put their local people to work,along with a few other strings attached. You see they don’t just sell you a passport collect the cash and they do not know where the hell the person ends up,that’s a serious matter…
    And so, don’t tell me that the PM’s that are doing that does not know that most of the passport buyers are just using the small countries as a spring board to get too where they really want to go ,one need not attend S.M.A, Grammer school or Convent high to know that….

  3. December 30, 2015

    Truly speaking..selling of passports I’ve always seen it as a lazy way of collecting a buck by the PM’s that have and is still today doing it,instead of getting off their big fat lazy behinds,rolling up their sleeves and getting down to the hard work of building up the countries. Mark you..they’re asking the masses to do that but for them it’s a no!no! Do as I say not as I do. If they do not want to do the hard work fairly then don’t take the job,it’s that simple…

  4. CCKR
    December 30, 2015

    It amazes me how pliant, ignorant and unsophisticated, all because of politics, Caribbean people are still after all these years of independence. PM Harris of St. Kitts is a sell-out and someone who has no clue about international politics and to those of you in Dominica who are listening to him, you all are just as stupid. St. Kitts/Nevis is a sovereign country and has a right to use a programme to develop itself. If that offends Canada, then that is a Canada’s problem but Caribbean people seem to worship whatever bigger countries do and tell us what to do. PM Douglas of St. Kitts was an excellent Prime Minister and Harris because of….his desire to be Prime Minister went around and destroyed the programme with his negative comments. Go and ask Canada about its record of its own programme and then come and debate. The persons here commenting are clueless about geopolitics and should be quiet but I am sure they won’t be.

    • Ma Moses
      December 30, 2015

      Court case CCKR v. Venus, Serena and Richard Williams, 21 Dec. 2007 Verdict? Judgement for the Williams family. Did you not learn you lesson yest CCKR?

  5. LMAO & readers 2
    December 29, 2015

    Excellent piece Mighty Greedy
    This is so on point.
    You made my day!

  6. Me
    December 29, 2015

    What have you got to say now Facts? here is your adopted country Canada that gives you all your social security benefits allegedly being prejudiced against with your country of birth that gives you nothing. I am waiting for your words of wisdom in defence of your hero Skerrit with baited breath.

  7. Floridian diaspora
    December 29, 2015

    For the idiots on here who are saying that UWP started selling passports back then which caused Dominicans to require a VISA to go to Canada, let me say this to you. If you all want to make reference to that scenario that would just be showing how desperate Skeritt is. Why? Because that would mean that the passport selling business was tried and tested and has proven to be a failed economic method for the island which would only end in further sanctions for Dominica “JUST LIKE OR WORSE THAN THE CANADA SITUATION” so why is skeritt still heading in this direction? His majesty has claimed to have so many friends in high places but when push comes to shove the only people you hear our supreme leader’s named being mentioned with are the scandalous ones.

  8. viewsexpressed
    December 29, 2015

    We go into a developmental gold rush for quick money and like a thief in the night, 99 days for the thief one day for law enforcement. Commissioner wherever you are please take stock, it is not all that glitters is gold. Too many political bandits out there.

  9. December 29, 2015

    Titiwi and the rest you all might be still suffering from a Christmas hangover. Is this not the same program that Lennox, Fontaine and other UWP stalwarts were promoting? Saying how good it was and that St. Kitts was collecting much more money than Dominica. We all now know why they collected so much money, according to PM Timothy Harris it was greed. Let us also not forget that it was because of the reckless sale of passports by the UWP administration that caused Dominicans to now require a visa to enter Canada. So you see we already require visas to enter Canada compliments of the all knowing and all seeing arrogant UWP.

    • @Patat December 29, 2015

      You are right! I don’t remember the exact year, but it was a few years before the year 2000 that we could no longer receive entrance to Canada without a visiting visa; while between the years of 1990 to 1997, my sisters, my brothers, my mom and dad, and a friend of mine simply used their Dominican–and the records, that they were invited by us, to spend some time in Canada.

      Let us bare in mind that in 1997, for example, PM Skerrit was a young man–much too young to be enrolled as Prime Minister of Dominica–Bottom line!

      • Me
        December 30, 2015

        You don’t remember the exact year but you know it was before 2000? A fine witness you would make. Believe is never the same as facts and that is why we have courts.

    • Tjebe Fort
      December 29, 2015

      Carcon, if that is true how come after fifteen years Skerrit is not able to change that. Your man is supposed to be a genius and have influence with world leaders, not true?

      • @Tjebe Fort December 29, 2015

        Well if there is nothing wrong with that project, why change it? Also he cannot make that change for personal reasons–it has to be by the people and for the sake of the economy

        And by the people, I mean the majority–not the minority group–those who gave him the right serve as Prime Minister.

    • December 29, 2015

      Hello you need to do your research and stop spreading false new. Canada dmplemented visas for Dominican in 2001, UWP was not in office, so get off hour high horse and stop the lies, The late Prime Minister Rosie Douglas vivited Canana in 2001, days before he passed on. He had a live interview with one of the TV Stations in Toronto, the interviewer asked him many questions including the sale of Dominica’s Passport, the Unersity riot, about him being Prime Minister of Dominica etc. When he was questioned about the sale of Dominica’s Passport, he responded by saying. DOMINICA IS A SOVEREIGN COUNTY AND NO ONE SHOULD TELL HIM WHAT TO DO, not too long after the interview CIC issued visa for Dominican to travel to Canada. today we have a corrupt regime running the country, telling Dominican all sorts of lies, calling them GLOBAL CITIZENS, SELLING DOMINICA and DOMINICANS as merchandise those who were chanting corruption in the days of UWP are the ones condoning what is far worst than…

    • viewsexpressed
      December 30, 2015

      Patat, you have missed the morale of the story and genuine benefits of the programme when was first introduced under Mamo`s DFP. If I recall the UWP was not in principle against the programme but that there is due diligence and must have a real positive economic basis to it that is creation of job, employment, monitoring and accountability etc. Under Mamo`s DFP an investor under the scheme had his passport terminated and kicked out of the programme and country for breach and wrong practices. That`s how Mamo and the DFP were strict representing and protecting the interest of all Dominicans.
      Under this Skerrit led DLP corrupt government we have none of these and we have a bunch of cowboys and funny looking people parading around the world with our passports resulting in Canada imposing visa on us. The UK almost did same and still a possibility that they may.
      We cannot and must not, never trust Skerrit, his corrupt political acolytes here, abroad and those who frequent Dubai via London.

    • dread
      December 30, 2015

      correction get your facts straight..UWP left office in 2000 and under the Rosie Douglas lead administration made a committment to suspend the programme but never did. passport was being issued all into 2002 which is when Canada implemented visa restriction on Dominica..so to say it was UWP was soley responsible is a lie..

      • December 30, 2015

        Dread get your facts straight. The issue that caused Canada to impose visa restriction on Dominica occurred under the UWP administration. It just happened that Canada imposed the restrictions after the UWP left office, it is the exact situation that happened in St. Kitts. Yes the UWP was soley responsible because it was under their administration that the passport or passports that created the situation was issued. These are just the simple facts.

      • @Patat December 30, 2015

        Yes it is as simple as that! But those weak minds of our people are hard to comprehend, they continue to feed on the futile thoughts of others–this will never stop.

    • i
      December 30, 2015

      so true ppl seem to forget all what uwp did to put us in bad situations all of dem seem to have memoir poole but with that aside dont turn a blind eye to what this current administration is doin to put d.a in bad situations

  10. Enfantpauve
    December 29, 2015

    On what basis were the current Passport Hucksters selected?Is the list closed?How much is the kick-back? And to whom paid?

    • Titiwi
      December 30, 2015

      I don’t know about any kick-back poor child, nor do I know the criteria on which these agents are selected but they are supposed to pay a fee to govt. However, the ultimate arbiter as to who is appointed or not is the Prime Minister. It is he, who has the final say.

  11. Zeb Kooess
    December 29, 2015

    “The earth is the lord’s and the fullness thereof.” Fools who are void of this wisdom, shall not go unpunished; and may be stripped of the very shirt which covers his back.

  12. Pebbles
    December 29, 2015

    Eventually greed comes to an end. They making it harder for the honest ones to enter. Now it\’s almost impossible to get a visa to come to Canada if you are from certain Caribbean countries including Dominica.

  13. %
    December 29, 2015

    When concerned Dominicans oppose the manner in which a few are doing the same to our passports, nts,minions are trying to defend it.Imagine how down the road we are going to suffer the of the wanton sale of our national identity.BAD GOVERNANCE!

    • i
      December 30, 2015

      im wondering why this comment got 8 dislikes .i mean dominicans dont even care about their future and the future of their kids.the ministers and pm and officials have their visas passports…we are the one who will be stuck here to struggle.dont u guys get that !

      • jacqueri
        December 30, 2015

        the 8 dislikes are from the from the pm and his officials .

  14. cc
    December 29, 2015

    When will these politicians ever learn?

  15. tru d bino q la
    December 29, 2015

    If the blind leads the blind they both shall fall into the abyss__ case in point. The entire country is now tainted. It is a case of one man phat going to the bank and all the a.. holes smell, following him. Do not cling to the drowning.

  16. too late
    December 29, 2015

    Same thing lennox been saying about Domica’s Pm. Greed!

    • the fly
      December 29, 2015

      Titiwi :happy new year to you, People like you knows better than most, when the prime minister Skerrit goes over seas this man is looking for investment and work for his people’s and most of all education when I read some of the comments on this page it is just a load of rubbish corruption corruption, and that is all they know this people are very sad, but when i read your comments i can see a wise person in their bye.

    • weemama
      December 29, 2015

      Too late ,Not to long ago that man Linton and Fontaine was saying how well St.Ketts was doing selling passports first come first served basis so you don’t talk about Dominica PM.GREED.

    • mastiff
      December 30, 2015

      Says the guy who didn’t even go to university, let alone wants to make Dominica the laughing stock of the world. Let this be known, UWP will not see power again. DLP has a new generation in the shadows waiting for their chance to lead various initiatives around the island, and I’m excited for them. Knowledgable men AND women :)

      • jacqueri
        December 30, 2015

        what’s your point ? eleven u.s president didn’t earn a college or university but that didn’t stop them from effectively leading the “greatest nation” on earth.

      • jacqueri
        December 30, 2015

        corrections degree after university

  17. Zandoli
    December 29, 2015

    The article made a statement that is factually incorrect. Canada does not have an Economic Citizenship program. The program allowed people residency – not Citizenship.

    I have a friend who was granted residency to Canada but he will never become a citizen and carry a Canadian passport because he is a businessman in his home country and does not spend enough time in Canada to quality for citizenship. And herein lies the big difference between the programs offered by Caribbean countries and Canada’s. They are not the same.

    • @Zandoli December 29, 2015

      You too are incorrect and the situation with your friend justifies the reason he cannot get Canadian Citizenship.

      It may not like be like before, but every person who receives a Canadian Citizenship must have a Landed Immigrant Status, before that, it should show that you have lived in Canada for at least 3 years, maybe much more today. The only thing which we cannot do with that Status is to partake in Government Elections.

      I know this because I entered Canada with my Landed Immigrant Status, in 1974. The Canadian Embassy interviewed me at Forte Young Hotel, to ascertain that I qualified for their Landed Immigrant Status.

      At the Airport they simply showed me the way out to meet my aunt, who had sponsored me. I went to High School, I attended College, I was entitled to any Service of Canada–as a Landed Immigrant.

      For that reason it took me 11 years to apply for my Citizenship, in 1985, I had no trouble getting it either.

      • However today, most people enter Canada as refugees–again that is because of past abuse of the Canadian Immigration System–they have to protect their people.

        After people are accepted as a refugee, they will have to be proving that they situation in the country is still a danger for their lives–and if they are successful, they do not get the Landed Immigrant Status–without paying that hefty sum and for every head of the family–if they have one

        In the year before 2000, my friend from Ghana told me that he had to $1000.00 for each of family member and himself–that was his wife and 3 children by then. The citizenship Start would cost much more–but within 3 years–just imagine what it is costing today 2015.

        Also some people cannot be both, a citizen of their country, and that of Canada, as far as I know Trinidad is an example. Their people can only belong to one country–their own or the one which they choose to live in, of the outside world.

  18. Lang Mama
    December 29, 2015

    Lang Mama don’t trust no politician and if Mr Harrs wants soe credibility he must pursue te regions croos wh were at the wheels WHIE asserts and diplomatic positions were beings sold for private gain. Et us see someoe them g to jail. If nothing s done ten I can only assume that St Kitts is going to get more of the same

    • Tjebe Fort
      December 29, 2015

      Lang Mama, you drunk or something this morning? Garcon you slurring your words like crazy. Hope you will feel better soon.

  19. The Prophet
    December 29, 2015

    Leaders of our country remember King Croesus, the richest man in the world before Christ was born who ended up destroying his own kingdom and King Midas before him, who had the golden touch but died of of starvation and vain prayer. Beware, beware!

  20. Titiwi
    December 29, 2015

    Dominica will be next, mark my words and we will be probably worse hit. There is a close associate of Dr. Douglas from St. Kits, now looking to benefit from our citizenship by investment programme to built a hotel in Dominica, the Royal Dominica Hotel. His name is John Zuliani. This no secret because it is in the press for all to read. He is one of the gentlemen who accompanied our P.M. on his latest visit to Dubai, specifically to promote this project. I just hope he is not looking for a free gift of land like we donated for the Kempinski project bu t Mr. Skerrit must be under enormous pressure for setting that precedent. Wishing my beautiful island and all its people a better 2016 than the year, whose end is nearly upon us. We can not change the past but we can learn from it.

    • Chakademus
      December 29, 2015

      Actually we will not be next, we have already been penalized by the Canadians for that same dirtiness. We used to be able to visit Canada freely but a few years ago they imposed visa restrictions on us. The problem is that all our leaders seem to be in favor of this sellout, from Mamo to Skerrit ALL our leaders are culpable. Shame shame shame.

      • December 29, 2015

        Not me Canada penalizing, I don’t have to go to Canada. Canada is taking in thousands of Syrian refugees many of them with possible ties to terrorism. So the question is who poses a greater security threat to Canada? Is it the light skin Syrian or the black West Indian coming from St. Kitts or Dominica? Canada has made its choice.

      • Tjebe Fort
        December 29, 2015

        Patat you are pathetic man. Now you throwing it on racial discrimination but citizens from Antigua and Barbados with the same Caricom passport like us do not need a visa for Canada. I know that very well but these countries do not have Skerrit for P.M.
        Maybe if you tell the Canadians you are an Irish potato they will let you in?

      • Zandoli
        December 29, 2015

        Patat you have no idea about what you speak. The fact is, most of the islands offering the economic citizenship program are more interested in how much money they collect than doing proper background checks that might point to a criminal past.

        In the case of Canada bringing in Syrian refugees, these people are properly vetted and only families are allowed to come in. There are very strict guidelines as to who gets selected. Canada is not desperate for Syrians, so they need no be reckless with the selection process.

    • the fly
      December 29, 2015

      Titiwi :happy new year to you, People like you knows better than most, when the prime minister Skerrit goes over seas this man is looking for investment and work for his people’s and most of all education when I read some of the comments on this page it is just a load of rubbish corruption corruption, and that is all they know this people are very sad, but when i read your comments i can see a wise person in their bye.

      • Titiwi
        December 30, 2015

        Fly thank you. I wish you and all Dominicans a happy New Year also. However, Christmas has just gone and I presume you are no longer a child, yet you still believe in father Christmas? I wish your assertions were true but the reality is that Roosevelt Skerrit makes these trips firs of all to stroke his own ego and secondly to feather his pocket. I make no apologies for sayiong this. It is my firm opinion that this is so, unfortunately so!

    • @Titiwi December 29, 2015

      “Dominica will be next, mark my words and we will be probably worse hit—“. “Wishing my beautiful island and all its people a better 2016 than the year, whose end is nearly upon us”

      You are speaking doom and gloom upon Dominica, while you are wishing for her better or best in 2016. This makes your writing based on no substance at all–what are you saying and what do you mean! For crying out loud!

    • Malgraysa
      December 29, 2015

      I hope the P.M. did his due diligence on this investor in view of the fact that he was party (claimant) to an unsavoury case before the Eastern Supreme Court, case no. SKBHCV 2011/0200 before Judge Ms. Agnes Actie on 7 Nov. 2012 and 16 Jan. 2013, with regard to an illegal and fraudulent transfer of land in St. Kitts where the case was struck off Court because the claim by the claimant was found to be an abuse of of process.

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