During a Washington reception on December 3, the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis announced the suspension of Syrians from attaining dual nationality via the islands’ citizenship by investment program. Exclusion for second citizenship eligibility will hold, the Prime Minister noted, until further federal vetting processes can be completed.
The statement, first issued in St. Kitts and Nevis last week, comes in the wake of ongoing reports of counterfeit Syrian passports flooding the international black market. St. Kitts and Nevis’s exclusion additionally follows the government’s recall in 2013, barring Iranian citizens from its program due to security concerns.
“As the pioneer country in developing a second citizenship by investment program, we are proud that St. Kitts and Nevis established a standard for the highest due diligence in processing applicants, while developing an integral investment platform and helping the island’s economy,” Hon. Prime Minister Timothy Harris said. “These are hallmarks that have set St. Kitts and Nevis onto the international stage as one of the most lucrative and appealing locations to attain second citizenship by investment.”
St. Kitts and Nevis, alongside economic citizenship offerings in Dominica and Grenada, have emplaced rigorous screening processes in establishing application protocol. The security of a country’s borders remains top priority-standards the St. Kitts and Nevis government holds to highest standard to ensure integrity of its citizenship by investment programs, and opportunities for collaboration with its regional and international partners.
“Today’s perilous times call for heightened security measures-both from government bodies and the global citizen,” said Lanny Davis, executive vice president at LEVICK Communications and former White House counsel.
Speaking at the reception, Prime Minister Harris joined diplomatic representatives and Caribbean leaders in highlighting avenues for joint partnerships between the island nations and the U.S. Ongoing since the 2000 Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act, the Caribbean nations remain poised to continue expanding and diversifying their trade offerings, drawing interest from the U.S. market for foreign investment into the islands’ economies.
“Dual nationality is, simply, the 21st century’s insurance policy,” said Micha Emmett, the global managing director and legal advisor of UK-based citizenship solutions firm CS Global Partners. “From visa-free or -upon arrival options for 131 countries to the tranquil experience at the heart of the Caribbean existence, investing in St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica or Grenada grants tremendous benefits while, in turn, supporting the economic developments of each respective island nation. At the heel of the recent events in Mali, Nigeria, Paris, Ankara, and Beirut, a second citizenship from a Caribbean island provides indispensable access to a safe haven, while opening substantial business possibilities.”
St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica and Grenada present various real estate and diversification investment offerings, from a $100,000 contribution to Dominica’s Economic Diversification Fund; to $200,000 donation to Grenada’s National Transformation Fund; and a $250,000 minimum investment to the St. Kitts and Nevis Sugar Fund Diversification.
Here, a Muslim fanatic can buy a Dominican passport and even become Prime Minister. Think about that! These people have plenty of money to finance an election and bribe us all.
Yeh Lennox will get some of them to finance his campaign, watch him you know. He very cunning.
that’s a start, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Israel and any country that systematically violates the human rights of its citizens.
You forgot to include Dominica perhaps?
Thereby making it more difficult for those beleaguered citizens to escape from tyranny? That makes no sense.
No one knows who is who now ,the good will always pay for the bad ,,,prevention is better than cure.
ISIS confiscated the finances of many Syrians and Iraqis especially if they are Christians. These have especially lost all their property.
ISIS demanded that anyone (not only Christians) must relinquish their property for their life. They had to pay a certain sum of money to be released from the clutches of ISIS
Pertaining to false Syrians passports, I wonder who are responsible for that? Could it be the rich ones who fled Syria? Surely, it could not be those who managed to flee Syria with no money.
Rich Syrians who apply for this passport by investment would not present a fake passport unless their passports were seized by ISIS to prevent them from leaving the country. In order to get a passport, they must pay an exorbitant sum of money. Which one of them has that kind of money unless they had stashed it out of the country?
ISIS- ISRAEL SECRET INTELLIGENT SERVICE
Ordinary citizens like you and I read the news and hope for the best but there is nothing we can do except pray that God will give wisdom to our nations’ leaders.
If we are compassionate people we want to treat the refugees right. Most of them may become good citizens and our neighbors. At the same time we realize the threat of terrorism is growing world wide. This must not stop us from being compassionate. But it should cause governments to be cautious and take time for proper screening.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.
We shall not be like TROY. If you read Psalm 83:4 They enslaved Negroes and sold us to the Grecian DEU28:68. They wanted these lands and now they running away. We cannot accept enemies.
Unfortunately it is just a matter of time they are already in Dominica ,[I SI ]they wont stop till they conger the world .
A big eel that will be (conger). You meant to say conquer of course.
Good move by the St.Kitts government, I hope Dominica government follow up , These program is risky regarding for terrorism these terrorist could use the Caribbean for planning attack and we citizens will suffer.
This St Kitts PM,,Dr Harris continues to impress me more and more. These are the type of leaders concerned citizens of a country should vote for. Compare this man’s leadership, to the and commess we have on island. I have said , and I am saying again that Skerrit never had the qualities to manage not even a Sole Trader shop. HE WAS NOT LEADERSHIP MATERIAL,but he was given a country to govern, SO HE IS DARN RIGHT, to land us where we are now. MORE PERILOUS TIMES AWAIT this failed country!Those who cannot hear will feel!!
how can you tell if a person is Syrian? in desperation people will pretend to be another but not themselves .
because only Syrians are terrorists right….
Derp, your observation is not a smart one. Most of the refugees coming into the EU originate from Syria. Secondly, as the article points out, fake Syrian passports abound and this is a preemptive move by St. Kits to try and get exemption for their passports when the EU countries (both Schengen and non-Schengen) will reintroduce visa restrictions for citizens holding passports from countries that have active citizenship purchase programmes, like Dominica. I have no doubt that this will happen before long.
yes.. own up to it! stop acting like Terrorist arent from those countries, they are and if the people from the countries were against it they would speak up against terrorist not the countries that are trying to protect their own citizens from middles eastern crazies.
You really don’t make sense and I would say you are prejudiced. There are plenty of black muslims in Africa also, not to mention the converts among our own both here and those of Caribbean stock, who’s parents emigrated to tge U.S.A, Canada and Europe? There are even white caucasian muslims and on the other hand there are plenty of Christian Syrians.
No, but they have a higher probability to be so…
Smart move by St. Kitts. They can teach us a thing or two.
I hope our leaders reading that and hearing what they are doing in St.Kitts. I think I should start thinking of moving up there. The man so far pulling all the right moves and making all the right stops.
they should be worried of British/ European nationals, because they are the ones fighting for ISIS/ISIL/Daesh
That’s actually a shame. Whatever the American mainstream media may imply, the Syrians who would apply for economic citizenship would need it to flee either the tyranny of Daesh (the Islamic State) or the tyranny of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Caribbean leaders too lazy and lack innovation, they need to stop selling passports cause ISIS also trinidadians and other nationalities. Just a matter of time before interpol find a Dominican passport left behind a bombing site.
Didn’t Mr. Honeychurch’s end up in Paris?
Thank you very much St Kitts. That means less competition for us here in Dominica, and PM Skerro must be having a jump-up all now, because these are the people we love to sell passports to.
Breaking news will soon come out saying Scores of Countries worldwide re -establishes Visa requirement for holders of D/can passport in light of Isis scare,
Some passport pushers/peddlers were over heard saying Skerrit can be compromised into doing the same but we make all our money already and put it into foreign banks, real estate etc.
I beg to differ. When D/ca’s Newday Movement “DNM” radicals take ove,r can’t all these worldly things be taken away in a heart beat?